Friday, January 10, 2014

How Do I Give Feedback after a Lesson?




There are many ways to give feedback after a tutoring session, but here are some proven effective methods:

1)      Create a list of learning goals prior to beginning any tutoring session.  Usually 3 goals are sufficient.  We'll discuss the specifics of learning goals in a later post.  After the lesson, simply jot down a quick note next to each learning goal as to whether or not said learning goal was addressed.

2)      Use the short list of ­Homework Assignments provided by you for students with whom you are providing enrichment lessons.  If you are, for example, working with a 4th grade student to improve her writing, then her homework may have included studying several vocabulary terms, expanding a mindmap, and creating an introduction paragraph for an essay.  After the lesson, simply jot down a quick note next to each homework assignment explaining how you worked on each, and then add in the list of next week's assignment.

3)      Jot down a paragraph that focuses on the primary aspects you studied together.  For example, “In today’s lesson, Johnny and I focused primarily on his project for World History.  Johnny had to complete reading sections 14.2-14.5 of his textbook for this assignment prior to our lesson, and he showed me that he had taken good notes on both the reading and vocabulary.  Using these notes, Johnny and I reviewed the assignments instructions, created an outline, and determined how to divide up the tasks Johnny will need to complete on a daily basis in order to finish his project.  I was pleased to see that Johnny showed great improvement in his ability to organize his time! I will follow-up with Johnny on his project during our next lesson on Friday.”
4)      For an adult student, a lesson may simply note the topic on which you worked (e.g. an essay, reviewed notes on a particular chapter of chemistry, or learned how to use MS Word’s page layout tools).  You may also want to follow-up with a couple of resources for the adult learner, such as a relevant article or YouTube video that will supplement the learning gained during your lesson, better helping them cement their new knowledge.

5)      Providing feedback after a lesson cancelled at the last-minute presents a different challenge.  Aside from the fact that no lesson took place, you then have to determine whether it is the best decision to bill for the missed lesson.  Should you decide to bill for a cancelled lesson, you may want to include a note as to why you have decided to charge for the lesson.  For example, “I received a text from Janie at 3:00 PM regarding our 6:30 PM tutoring lesson.  I'm sorry to hear that she is not feeling well.  I look forward to seeing Janie in our next lesson at 6:30 PM on Tuesday!” Beneath your positive note, you may want to include your lesson pricing policies to avoid confusion.

The commonality between each lesson record is that it is positive, particularly so for those notes which are intended for parents where a child has not completed a task or attended a lesson.  If a child does not meet your expectations during the lesson, then it is important to address that with the student.  You do not want your student to learn that you are relaying every little aspect of your lesson and reasons as to why you are displeased with the student to the parent, as you will quickly lose the trust your student has for you, which will ultimately diminish the positive results that your student will achieve through tutoring.

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