How Process Feedback Can Help You Become a Great Teacher, in The AI Era
Written by: Abhigya Singh
“Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”
This line from the movie Dead Poets Society by the protagonist, Mr. Keating, perfectly sums up the true spirit of learning. Mr. Keating’s unorthodox approach and profound impact on his students continue to resonate with educators and learners alike. He has instilled in us that the purpose of education is not merely to inform and provide a means of livelihood, but to challenge and encourage students to rise above and do the extraordinary.
As educators, the goal is to create meaningful connections with students, to know their individual journeys, and to develop a space where they can thrive personally, academically, and professionally in the future. However, the path to becoming a great teacher is fraught with a plethora of challenges, starting with understanding diverse learning styles to providing effective feedback that truly supports student growth.
In this context, the importance of what is taught is pertinent, however, how it is taught, becomes paramount. Traditional educational metrics often fall inadequate in capturing the intricacies of the learning process. What if one could take things a step further, look deeper past the final grade and the assignment, to get the bigger picture of the creativity and learning process of the student?
Drawing from the ethos of the Dead Poets Society, which celebrates individuality and intellectual curiosity, educators are increasingly adopting innovative approaches that stem from these principles. Process Feedback emerges as one such tool, designed to replace traditional assessment methods that provide a limited view of a student’s abilities, capturing only the end product of learning while overlooking the intricate processes that shape their growth.
In contrast, Process Feedback offers a more nuanced and comprehensive perspective. It tracks the various stages of a student's work, from initial drafts to final submissions, capturing data on time management, frequency of revisions, and patterns of editing. Such detailed breakdown offers the educators not only what students have created but how they have created it. Knowing the processes students go through, the teacher is able to appreciate the strategies applied, locate the gaps and be in a position to give feedback that brings improvement.
In Dead Poets Society, one of the most famous scenes is when Mr. Keating steps onto a desk to show why it is so important to see the world through different eyes. He even goes as far as urging them to break free from the norms and think independently. More than a physical illustration though, this action of his indicates a powerful metaphor that challenges the status quo and endorses unique perspectives. He symbolizes the rise of thought by physically elevating himself, challenging the rigid norms of education. By doing so, he appeals to the students to rise above the conventional point of view. This act represents a revolt against educational norms, encouraging students to question and rethink traditional beliefs and standards.
Some of his techniques include asking students to tear out chapters or lines from their texts or compose original verses which then promotes creativity and critical thinking in the classroom along with rejecting a rigid and conforming standard of acceptable literature. Furthermore, he knows well that education does not simply involve information uptake but rather stimulating students’ quest for knowledge and encouraging their interests and abilities. This unique teaching style compels pupils to venture boldly into unknown territories to express themselves as well as find their own voices.
Process Feedback stands as an appropriate alignment to Mr. Keating's philosophy. It provides educators with a window into the creative processes of their students, enabling them to understand and nurture individual talents and passions, just as Mr. Keating aimed to do.
Take the case of a student grappling with a creative writing assignment, for instance. In particular, traditional feedback might identify a lack of coherence or grammatical mistakes in final drafts. However, Process Feedback shows the whole course: the initial brainstorming sessions, the evolution of ideas, the drafts, and revisions.
By analyzing the data presented, a teacher can tell that a student understands how narrative works but has problems with sentence fluency. Therefore, this information enables them to come up with personalized ways such as giving extra time for composing and editing or suggesting writing practices to deal with it.
Furthermore, teachers learn about behaviors that are recurrent among students using Process Feedback. A teacher can help such a student improve his or her time management abilities if most submissions are done on the deadline day. When students make better revisions than their initial attempts, then it means that they have high self-improvement capabilities and resilience. This deeper understanding helps teachers inspire and motivate their students more effectively just as Mr. Keating was able to do so by finding and nurturing hidden potential in each student.
Mr. Keating was not just an unconventional teacher who helped students to find their own talents but also encouraged and supported them in their pursuits of dreams, interests, and aspirations. An example of this can be observed when he managed to persuade Todd Anderson to overcome his stage fright and realize his poetic potential. This individual attention creates trust between students and teachers where they feel that they are an important part of a classroom experience.
In a similar vein, Process Feedback in contemporary education mirrors this philosophy by creating a personalized learning environment. It enables educators to deeply comprehend each student's journey, identifying strengths and supporting growth areas effectively. By revealing insights into students' creative processes and delivering tailored feedback, it also facilitates meaningful connections between educators and students.
Additionally, Process Feedback creates a feedback loop that keeps learners thinking critically about their work in order to make it better. It is through understanding the tool better by teachers that they are able to be encouraged to provide meaningful comments akin to Mr. Keating's approach of motivating students with personalized feedback that resonates deeply. By accepting one’s improvement and celebrating the success attained by a student, teachers shape an environment that encompasses supportive learning opportunities.
Celebrating student success and creating a supportive learning environment leads us to another important aspect of teaching: The inner lives of the teacher and the students. But wait, how can these inner lives be developed to improve the educational experience?
Parker Palmer, in his book The Courage to Teach, 1997 emphasizes the importance of the inner lives of teachers. He contends that good teaching is rooted in the teacher’s identity and integrity, asserting that self-awareness, recognizing one’s strengths as well as weaknesses, and being conscious of one’s style of instruction are critical elements towards making learning a valuable endeavor. His philosophy underscores that teaching is not merely a technical act but a deeply personal and reflective practice.
Reflecting on Palmer’s philosophy, Process Feedback facilitates this reflection and self-awareness by providing comprehensive scrutiny of creative processes that enable both teachers and students to better understand their own ways of learning or teaching.
Consider a scenario where a teacher uses Process Feedback to review a student’s progress in writing a series of poems. The tool reveals that commonly students begin with interesting and amazing ideas, but then suffer from loss of concentration as they progress with it. The educator finds this pattern helpful in advising the student on how to maintain consistency and coherence throughout his or her entire assignment. Such pointed process-focused responses make students more conscious of their creative practices and teach them how to be self-reflective about what they are doing, eventually contributing to their comprehensive development.
This more profound understanding not only cultivates self-awareness but also augments a culture of continuous improvement in educational contexts. Teachers can modify their instructional methods with fine-grained data while learners can modify their modes of learning in response to personalized feedback.
This dynamic interplay between feedback and reflection inculcates a nurturing learning ecosystem with growth and development at its core. But how do we move beyond the limitations of objective measures and truly embrace the learning journey?
In breaking the boundaries of objectivism, Mr. Keating went against the strict measures of learning that were upheld at Welton Academy with great fame. When he tore out the introduction of the poetry textbook that attempted to gauge the greatness of poetry with mathematical precision— he brought to light that poetry isn't about numbers but passion, emotion, and humanity itself. In taking this action he signified his belief that education should go beyond grades and standardized assessments; seeking instead to recognize each student's unique creative process, irrespective of any quantification for approval or validation.
Equivalently, Process Feedback brings students a fresh dimension of traditional grading models since it redirects the idea of focusing on grades to the path of learning and original work. It allows teachers to see the process and finally connect with the learners' ambitions, struggles, and subsequent breakthroughs achieved by them. This method not only deepens understanding of the subject but also provides a well-rounded perspective on student development.
Prioritizing adherence to the learning process over chasing marks allows the material to resonate more deeply and ignites an intrinsic drive for excellence within students. While learning the ropes, students are acquiring skills such as logical thinking and strategic solutions, which last them for a lifetime. This system of gaining knowledge also habituates a growth mindset and, in general, regards the progress, effort, and the acquisition of skills as more important than just gathering the highest scores that lead to deeper and more prolonged educational results.
In such an environment, students learn how to believe in themselves and they feel that they are freer to take some intellectual risks such as expressing ideas that are not usual or challenging the established norms of the educational system. This process not only enhances their academic growth but also bolsters their emotional safety and well-being by validating their perspectives and promoting a sense of belonging in the classroom community.
As Mr. Keating encourages his students with the words, "No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world," he instilled in them a belief in their own potential to make a difference through their thoughts and expressions.
This conviction in the strength of ideas is not just the backbone of academic learning but also the promoter of emotional safety and well-being among the students. The distinction of Mr. Keating’s method lies in the fact that the emotionally safe environment is being built by students themselves where they can express their thoughts without fear of judgment.
Likewise, Process Feedback also develops a feeling of emotional safety as students are not apprehensive about being judged solely on their final grades. They are, on the contrary, expected to reflect on their learning, and are hence secure because they know that their exertions and progress are being acknowledged. It respects student privacy and helps students to reflect on themselves, thus promoting a nurturing environment in which students can express themselves and be in control of their learning path.
Just as Mr. Keating's classroom is a private space for uninhibited self-expression and self-realization, so too does Process Feedback set up the atmosphere of a supportive environment that ensures emotional and intellectual well-being. This conjunction allows students to feel their backs are covered and supported in reaching their full potential.
This concept of creating a welcoming space extends beyond emotional safety and into the realm of hospitality in learning, where the teacher's role is to foster an inclusive and open atmosphere.
Likewise, Process Feedback promotes a helpful learning approach, encouraging them to immerse themselves in their work without worrying about criticism. The system emphasizes not just grading final results but also recognizing trials and errors as integral learning components.
Imagine a student who is working on a coding project where the end goal is to build a web application that at least one user can use to track daily habits. In the first drafts, he or she is poor at basic HTML layout and functionality; this first draft is very simplistic and full of errors. The student shares the Process Feedback report of this first draft with the teacher before moving on to the next stage. This report allows the teacher to see where the student began and understand their initial challenges.
As the student progresses, he attempts to put in JavaScript to enable user interactions and data storage. Though crashing regularly and riddled with bugs, the student documented each step of their process for troubleshooting. The report feature captures this journey, allowing the teacher to see not only the errors but the problem-solving efforts.
Since the student is persistent in the exercise, the teacher could then give more specific feedback, guiding coding problems and praising resilience and creativity. Through continuous encouragement, the student refines the designed application by experimenting with enhancing user experience using CSS. The teacher continues to review progress being made by the student through the updated Process Feedback reports, celebrating improvements and providing constructive criticism.
As educators, the goal is to create meaningful connections with students, to know their individual journeys, and to develop a space where they can thrive personally, academically, and professionally in the future. However, the path to becoming a great teacher is fraught with a plethora of challenges, starting with understanding diverse learning styles to providing effective feedback that truly supports student growth.
In this context, the importance of what is taught is pertinent, however, how it is taught, becomes paramount. Traditional educational metrics often fall inadequate in capturing the intricacies of the learning process. What if one could take things a step further, look deeper past the final grade and the assignment, to get the bigger picture of the creativity and learning process of the student?
Drawing from the ethos of the Dead Poets Society, which celebrates individuality and intellectual curiosity, educators are increasingly adopting innovative approaches that stem from these principles. Process Feedback emerges as one such tool, designed to replace traditional assessment methods that provide a limited view of a student’s abilities, capturing only the end product of learning while overlooking the intricate processes that shape their growth.
In contrast, Process Feedback offers a more nuanced and comprehensive perspective. It tracks the various stages of a student's work, from initial drafts to final submissions, capturing data on time management, frequency of revisions, and patterns of editing. Such detailed breakdown offers the educators not only what students have created but how they have created it. Knowing the processes students go through, the teacher is able to appreciate the strategies applied, locate the gaps and be in a position to give feedback that brings improvement.
In Dead Poets Society, one of the most famous scenes is when Mr. Keating steps onto a desk to show why it is so important to see the world through different eyes. He even goes as far as urging them to break free from the norms and think independently. More than a physical illustration though, this action of his indicates a powerful metaphor that challenges the status quo and endorses unique perspectives. He symbolizes the rise of thought by physically elevating himself, challenging the rigid norms of education. By doing so, he appeals to the students to rise above the conventional point of view. This act represents a revolt against educational norms, encouraging students to question and rethink traditional beliefs and standards.
Some of his techniques include asking students to tear out chapters or lines from their texts or compose original verses which then promotes creativity and critical thinking in the classroom along with rejecting a rigid and conforming standard of acceptable literature. Furthermore, he knows well that education does not simply involve information uptake but rather stimulating students’ quest for knowledge and encouraging their interests and abilities. This unique teaching style compels pupils to venture boldly into unknown territories to express themselves as well as find their own voices.
Process Feedback stands as an appropriate alignment to Mr. Keating's philosophy. It provides educators with a window into the creative processes of their students, enabling them to understand and nurture individual talents and passions, just as Mr. Keating aimed to do.
Take the case of a student grappling with a creative writing assignment, for instance. In particular, traditional feedback might identify a lack of coherence or grammatical mistakes in final drafts. However, Process Feedback shows the whole course: the initial brainstorming sessions, the evolution of ideas, the drafts, and revisions.
By analyzing the data presented, a teacher can tell that a student understands how narrative works but has problems with sentence fluency. Therefore, this information enables them to come up with personalized ways such as giving extra time for composing and editing or suggesting writing practices to deal with it.
Furthermore, teachers learn about behaviors that are recurrent among students using Process Feedback. A teacher can help such a student improve his or her time management abilities if most submissions are done on the deadline day. When students make better revisions than their initial attempts, then it means that they have high self-improvement capabilities and resilience. This deeper understanding helps teachers inspire and motivate their students more effectively just as Mr. Keating was able to do so by finding and nurturing hidden potential in each student.
Mr. Keating was not just an unconventional teacher who helped students to find their own talents but also encouraged and supported them in their pursuits of dreams, interests, and aspirations. An example of this can be observed when he managed to persuade Todd Anderson to overcome his stage fright and realize his poetic potential. This individual attention creates trust between students and teachers where they feel that they are an important part of a classroom experience.
In a similar vein, Process Feedback in contemporary education mirrors this philosophy by creating a personalized learning environment. It enables educators to deeply comprehend each student's journey, identifying strengths and supporting growth areas effectively. By revealing insights into students' creative processes and delivering tailored feedback, it also facilitates meaningful connections between educators and students.
Additionally, Process Feedback creates a feedback loop that keeps learners thinking critically about their work in order to make it better. It is through understanding the tool better by teachers that they are able to be encouraged to provide meaningful comments akin to Mr. Keating's approach of motivating students with personalized feedback that resonates deeply. By accepting one’s improvement and celebrating the success attained by a student, teachers shape an environment that encompasses supportive learning opportunities.
Celebrating student success and creating a supportive learning environment leads us to another important aspect of teaching: The inner lives of the teacher and the students. But wait, how can these inner lives be developed to improve the educational experience?
Parker Palmer, in his book The Courage to Teach, 1997 emphasizes the importance of the inner lives of teachers. He contends that good teaching is rooted in the teacher’s identity and integrity, asserting that self-awareness, recognizing one’s strengths as well as weaknesses, and being conscious of one’s style of instruction are critical elements towards making learning a valuable endeavor. His philosophy underscores that teaching is not merely a technical act but a deeply personal and reflective practice.
Reflecting on Palmer’s philosophy, Process Feedback facilitates this reflection and self-awareness by providing comprehensive scrutiny of creative processes that enable both teachers and students to better understand their own ways of learning or teaching.
Consider a scenario where a teacher uses Process Feedback to review a student’s progress in writing a series of poems. The tool reveals that commonly students begin with interesting and amazing ideas, but then suffer from loss of concentration as they progress with it. The educator finds this pattern helpful in advising the student on how to maintain consistency and coherence throughout his or her entire assignment. Such pointed process-focused responses make students more conscious of their creative practices and teach them how to be self-reflective about what they are doing, eventually contributing to their comprehensive development.
This more profound understanding not only cultivates self-awareness but also augments a culture of continuous improvement in educational contexts. Teachers can modify their instructional methods with fine-grained data while learners can modify their modes of learning in response to personalized feedback.
This dynamic interplay between feedback and reflection inculcates a nurturing learning ecosystem with growth and development at its core. But how do we move beyond the limitations of objective measures and truly embrace the learning journey?
In breaking the boundaries of objectivism, Mr. Keating went against the strict measures of learning that were upheld at Welton Academy with great fame. When he tore out the introduction of the poetry textbook that attempted to gauge the greatness of poetry with mathematical precision— he brought to light that poetry isn't about numbers but passion, emotion, and humanity itself. In taking this action he signified his belief that education should go beyond grades and standardized assessments; seeking instead to recognize each student's unique creative process, irrespective of any quantification for approval or validation.
Equivalently, Process Feedback brings students a fresh dimension of traditional grading models since it redirects the idea of focusing on grades to the path of learning and original work. It allows teachers to see the process and finally connect with the learners' ambitions, struggles, and subsequent breakthroughs achieved by them. This method not only deepens understanding of the subject but also provides a well-rounded perspective on student development.
Prioritizing adherence to the learning process over chasing marks allows the material to resonate more deeply and ignites an intrinsic drive for excellence within students. While learning the ropes, students are acquiring skills such as logical thinking and strategic solutions, which last them for a lifetime. This system of gaining knowledge also habituates a growth mindset and, in general, regards the progress, effort, and the acquisition of skills as more important than just gathering the highest scores that lead to deeper and more prolonged educational results.
In such an environment, students learn how to believe in themselves and they feel that they are freer to take some intellectual risks such as expressing ideas that are not usual or challenging the established norms of the educational system. This process not only enhances their academic growth but also bolsters their emotional safety and well-being by validating their perspectives and promoting a sense of belonging in the classroom community.
As Mr. Keating encourages his students with the words, "No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world," he instilled in them a belief in their own potential to make a difference through their thoughts and expressions.
This conviction in the strength of ideas is not just the backbone of academic learning but also the promoter of emotional safety and well-being among the students. The distinction of Mr. Keating’s method lies in the fact that the emotionally safe environment is being built by students themselves where they can express their thoughts without fear of judgment.
Likewise, Process Feedback also develops a feeling of emotional safety as students are not apprehensive about being judged solely on their final grades. They are, on the contrary, expected to reflect on their learning, and are hence secure because they know that their exertions and progress are being acknowledged. It respects student privacy and helps students to reflect on themselves, thus promoting a nurturing environment in which students can express themselves and be in control of their learning path.
Just as Mr. Keating's classroom is a private space for uninhibited self-expression and self-realization, so too does Process Feedback set up the atmosphere of a supportive environment that ensures emotional and intellectual well-being. This conjunction allows students to feel their backs are covered and supported in reaching their full potential.
This concept of creating a welcoming space extends beyond emotional safety and into the realm of hospitality in learning, where the teacher's role is to foster an inclusive and open atmosphere.
"When you read, don't just consider what the author thinks, consider what you think."This philosophy encourages students to think critically and form their own opinions. This act of inviting students to share their views is the epitome of hospitality in a supportive learning environment since it invites every point of view, no matter how unconventional, to come in and be a place where it matters and is explored.
Likewise, Process Feedback promotes a helpful learning approach, encouraging them to immerse themselves in their work without worrying about criticism. The system emphasizes not just grading final results but also recognizing trials and errors as integral learning components.
Imagine a student who is working on a coding project where the end goal is to build a web application that at least one user can use to track daily habits. In the first drafts, he or she is poor at basic HTML layout and functionality; this first draft is very simplistic and full of errors. The student shares the Process Feedback report of this first draft with the teacher before moving on to the next stage. This report allows the teacher to see where the student began and understand their initial challenges.
As the student progresses, he attempts to put in JavaScript to enable user interactions and data storage. Though crashing regularly and riddled with bugs, the student documented each step of their process for troubleshooting. The report feature captures this journey, allowing the teacher to see not only the errors but the problem-solving efforts.
Since the student is persistent in the exercise, the teacher could then give more specific feedback, guiding coding problems and praising resilience and creativity. Through continuous encouragement, the student refines the designed application by experimenting with enhancing user experience using CSS. The teacher continues to review progress being made by the student through the updated Process Feedback reports, celebrating improvements and providing constructive criticism.
Process Feedback allows successful sit-down conversations between the teachers and the students, where they can have elaborate discussions on the process behind their coding. During these sessions, students get to explain their logic and approach, which helps teachers understand their thought processes and identify any misconceptions or gaps in knowledge. In return, teachers can provide guidance and constructive advice to improve student’s problem-solving skills, and build confidence in their abilities.
This makes the student understood and valued. This cements the position of a teacher as an enabler of a safe and enabling environment whereby he/she becomes a facilitator or mentor for a student to learn with empathy and encouragement.
Along the lines of Mr. Keating's maxim that words and ideas can change the world, process feedback will emerge as one of the powerful tools to help teachers kindle inspiration, connection, and self-awareness in students. It rises above all conventional methods of assessment, shining a light on the convoluted paths students take to comprehension and mastery. Looking at the journey rather than merely a view of the destination, process feedback allows educators to be at the helm of programming their support and feedback in such a way that every student is able to work to his or her best potential.
Through process feedback, much information of high value is given about student growth and development, letting teachers give effective personalized guidance beyond grade scores. Such a tool enables not only better academic achievement but also the essential competencies for life in terms of resilience, critical thinking, and creativity.
Let us take the lessons that Mr. Keating has bestowed upon us and mix them with truly catalyzing forces—Process Feedback. This puts us at an advantageous position in the pursuit of creating classrooms where curiosity is crowned, growth is cherished, and each student has a plethora of opportunities for the discovery of their extraordinary potential. Join us in enhancing education through reflective thought, personalized learning journeys, and continuous improvement.
This makes the student understood and valued. This cements the position of a teacher as an enabler of a safe and enabling environment whereby he/she becomes a facilitator or mentor for a student to learn with empathy and encouragement.
Along the lines of Mr. Keating's maxim that words and ideas can change the world, process feedback will emerge as one of the powerful tools to help teachers kindle inspiration, connection, and self-awareness in students. It rises above all conventional methods of assessment, shining a light on the convoluted paths students take to comprehension and mastery. Looking at the journey rather than merely a view of the destination, process feedback allows educators to be at the helm of programming their support and feedback in such a way that every student is able to work to his or her best potential.
Through process feedback, much information of high value is given about student growth and development, letting teachers give effective personalized guidance beyond grade scores. Such a tool enables not only better academic achievement but also the essential competencies for life in terms of resilience, critical thinking, and creativity.
Let us take the lessons that Mr. Keating has bestowed upon us and mix them with truly catalyzing forces—Process Feedback. This puts us at an advantageous position in the pursuit of creating classrooms where curiosity is crowned, growth is cherished, and each student has a plethora of opportunities for the discovery of their extraordinary potential. Join us in enhancing education through reflective thought, personalized learning journeys, and continuous improvement.
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