Summary
This YouTube video discusses more effective teaching strategies than traditional methods of marking student work. Instead of providing individual feedback, the video advocates for identifying common misconceptions and re-teaching those concepts to the whole class or a smaller group. This approach, the speaker argues, is more efficient and effective than spending time writing individual comments. The speaker also emphasizes the benefit of over-learning for students, even those who already understand the material. Finally, they suggest using metacognitive strategies to help students self-check their work.
What are the key implications for teachers in the classroom?
- Feedback in the form of written comments is often ineffective. Instead of spending time marking student work, teachers should look for common mistakes. For example, if students are forgetting to add a zero in the second line of a long multiplication problem, the teacher should address this mistake with the whole class.
- Re-teaching is a better use of teacher time than providing written feedback. When students make mistakes, it is usually because they do not understand the concept. More teaching is needed to address these misunderstandings.
- Overlearning is beneficial for students. Even high-achieving students may benefit from revisiting previously learned concepts to deepen their understanding. Teachers should not be afraid to reteach a concept even if some students have already mastered it.
- Teachers should provide students with metacognitive strategies to check their work. Giving students ways to self-check their work can help them to identify and correct their own errors, ultimately leading to greater learning. Examples include adding numbers in different orders to check if the sum is the same, using the inverse operation to check work, or double-checking units in math problems.
Teachers may need to get creative in finding ways to keep students who have already mastered a concept engaged while the concept is being retaught to other students. The speaker suggests giving these students additional practice problems or challenging extension activities.
