Daring Greatly With Feedback

Study Hack: Daring Greatly With Feedback

You hand in an essay and eagerly await the mark…and you might cast a passing eye over the written comments. But you can’t wait to see that mark. It was your best work, so you are expecting an A Range mark but closer to full marks. When the essay comes back, you are disappointed with a high B. And realistically, you know it’s a little bratty to be disappointed.

Much like a pick a path book, you have different paths you could traverse at this point. One is to complain to your teacher, demanding more feedback. During this process, you are ready to rebut every aspect they discuss. If this is your usual route, you would be a real fan of phrases such as, “I did that,” “I also did that,” and my personal favourite “You missed that!!!” You possibly even go through your response with a highlighter to show just how many times you used a quote, example or attempted to analyse or evaluate. You will go back for round two of the Battle With The Marker.

The simple fact is unless a page of writing was missed or a multiple-choice question was incorrectly marked, you won’t be getting more marks. It would entail the entire cohort having their papers marked again. And, more importantly, the consistency of the marking will mean the ranks are the same. Whether people are moved up or down a mark as a group will have no bearing on the positions remaining the same.

Path One creates a fixed mindset, and you won’t progress and develop in your writing. You have admitted defeat. Path One is the much-traveled path by students and leads to limiting their ability to improve.

Another better path that is less traveled is a path of vulnerability. This is the path of a Growth Mindset. Digest the comments and annotations. Take them on board and improve. The feedback is provided so you can do better next time. Ask for clarification about what the feedback means. You might approach the teacher and say, “I thought I was analysing there, could you please show me how I could take this to a deep analysis.” You will find teachers are more than happy to give you time and provide some tips on fixing your writing. Good feedback should also show you HOW to do the next step or give you ideas on where to take your writing. After taking the feedback on board, rewrite part of your essay. Take it back to the marker or your teacher. You will see the improvement and have a tangible example of your learning in your hot little hand. 

If you find after approaching the marker and your teacher that you aren’t able to put the feedback into practice, then you may need to consult an experienced tutor to show you in a one on one situation at a more convenient time. 

Check out Brene Brown’s work about vulnerability and using feedback. She has some excellent Ted Talks about how to take feedback on effectively. One thing she highlights is that you need to be brave to receive feedback. Taking feedback and rewriting your work is an act of vulnerability and bravery. Brene Brown uses a great quote about the Man in the Arena, a Teddy Roosevelt quote. 

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

The cheap seats are occupied here by the students running back to argue with the marker. They are not in the arena trying to improve and take risks. They are looking to blame someone, anyone except themselves. Take the risk to be brave with feedback. Don’t get caught in their trap of shame and blame, embrace the feedback and learn. Even if, after doing all of this, the outcome isn’t what you wanted, at least you have dared greatly.