Teach Primary - Essential School Resource 2024/25

CPD Priced at £12.99; find out more at bloomsbury.com/education R E V I E W The term ‘feedback’ can cover a whole spectrum of assessment practices, ideas and approaches. Unfortunately, however, it’s tended to be the case that one or two types of feedback dominate at the expense of others, to the point of shaping wider narratives around inspection and education. In The Teacher Toolkit Guide to Feedback , Ross Morrison McGill seeks to engage with all the varieties of formative assessment that teachers might turn to, and covers a range of strategies for use both inside and outside the classroom. The book presents an admirably nuanced picture of the feedback methods teachers can draw on, showcasing what effective verbal, non- verbal and written feedback looks like. A series of chapter-length case studies delve into particular assessment challenges, documenting how the relevant school sought to address it, and the results their actions had. Each study then concludes by highlighting the crucial role that feedback techniques played in each respective scenario, and how well they support students in answering three crucial questions of themselves – ‘ Where am I going? ’, ‘ How am I doing? ’ and ‘ Where to next? ’ Outside of the case study chapters, readers can expect a rich mix of writing around the latest research and evidence concerning feedback, plus lots of practical advice. These different sides to the book are presented in a clear, user-friendly way that could well inspire you to give ideas such as the ‘Orange Box approach’, ‘the KFC method’ and the ‘Praise, probe, identify, plan and lock’ a try within your own setting. QR codes peppered throughout the book contain helpful links to further reading and research – including an additional welcome message from McGill, as well as notes on the different factors that can influence feedback, aspects of social research, further case study nuggets and accompanying downloads. A defining feature of the book is how it eschews any surplus – stripping away the dense edu-jargon in favour of breaking down the theory involved in feedback down to its essentials, thus enabling teachers to grasp the essence of the ideas the book discusses without being bamboozled. The valuable insights, useful advice and real-world examples found within The Teacher Toolkit Guide to Feedback should go some way towards helping you realise those benefits within your own setting, while also giving you a deeper understanding of the different forms that formative assessment can take. It also provides an important reminder that perhaps the most powerful diagnostic tool teachers have within their armoury is the teacher-pupil conversation. What you get in this book is a toolkit of evidence-based practical ideas, masses to Keen to improve your use of feedback but unsure where to start? The answers you seek may well be here... A T A G L ANCE • Focuses on techniques to transform feedback practice • Details nine real-life case study examples • Presents scaffolded ideas, worked examples, infographics, charts, diagrams and templates • Contains a range of recommendations, tips and suggestions for applying feedback ideas • Features a foreword penned by Professor John Hattie ✓ Shows how educational theory can be turned into useful practice ✓ Sets out ways of developing self-regulated learning and performance ✓ Signposts the way towards effecting positive change in your school’s teaching and learning ✓ Clear, jargon-free explanations ✓ Ideal for teacher training and staff development sessions ...you’re looking for tried and tested strategies that intelligently link teaching, learning and assessment in ways that can transform your school’s approach to feedback for the better. V E RD I C T P I CK UP I F . . . REVIEWED BY: JOHN DABELL The Teacher Toolkit Guide to Feedback reflect on and a springboard for making formative assessment relevant, efficacious and impactful. It’s relevant for pedagogical leaders, classroom practitioners and TAs, and will be extremely useful during any reorganisation of the culture surrounding feedback within your school. Essential School Resources 24-25 29 www.teachwire.net/secondary