In his new book The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle describes research into various kinds of feedback on student work, and how it influenced subsequent performance.
Researchers discovered that one particular form of feedback boosted student effort and performance so immensely that they deemed it “magical feedback.” Students who received it chose to revise their papers far more than students who did not, and their performance improved significantly. The feedback was not complicated. In fact, it consisted of one simple phrase.
I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.
A simple phrase, but three distinct pieces of information.
Feedback. Expectations. Faith.
The best instruction gives feedback on areas for improvement. The best instruction signals high expectations from the instructor. The best instruction informs the student of deep faith that he or she can achieve those expectations.
Feedback. Expectations. faith.
Without a teacher’s effective feedback, all the expectations and faith in the world cannot show a student the path forward.
Without a teacher’s high expectations, a student may see the path and know they can achieve it, but will not feel it necessary to direct her energies towards improvement.
Without a teacher’s faith in their ability, a student will often decide that she cannot personally reach the expectations, and give up.
Feedback. Expectations. Faith.
While Coyle goes an entire book without looking towards conductors as examples, it’s clear that the best music educators say that sentence every single day, both audibly and subconsciously. In a masterclass this past week, Duane Davis had effectively told my GRCC students all three of those things within five minutes of stepping in front of them – leading to a frank, positive, and incredibly effective rehearsal.
When you attend summer conference, you focus on learning new strategies for feedback, but seldom get much new information on new strategies for showing your expectations or your faith. That doesn’t mean those are less important, only that they are harder to teach in a conference session.
Which of these is your weak point? Are you great at feedback and expectations, but leave your students wondering if they can achieve? Or are you great at feedback and faith, but leave it feeling optional, not expected?
This is just one of many ideas in Daniel Coyle’s The Culture Code that seem custom-written just for choral educators. I highly recommend it!