94: A Two-Way Conversation – Christine Witcher chats with us about the importance of feedback, and how to make sure our students are emotionally ready for it, and prepared to learn from it. 

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Christine Witcher chats with us about the importance of feedback, and how to make sure our students are emotionally ready for it, and prepared to learn from it.

Christine shares how fixing a problem in her classroom lead to creating an app to help others solve the same problem, and why we need to ask our students everyday what they need, and then listen to them.

'I have to ask my students every day what they need, and I need to listen to them.' - @floopedu from episode 94 of #TeachBetterTalk #Podcast #TeachBetter Click To Tweet

Episode Highlights

  • 0:35 – Shoutout to Jess Hamilton for Rae’s descriptive word.
  • 1:54 – Talking about how much Rae loved this episode.
  • 3:05 – Talking about feedback and why it is so important in our classrooms.
  • 6:30 – Previewing the episode with Christine Witcher.
  • 8:59 – Christine introduces herself.
  • 9:54 – Talking about Floop; the feedback tool that Christine co-created.
  • 14:40 – Christine’s failure: Was experiencing “student resistance” and surveyed Felt stuck. Total flop. Conducting  anonymous survey to get feedback. Almost quit teaching after seeing their feedback. Students where telling me exactly how to be  a better teacher.
  • 19:15 – Christine’s success: Switching entirely to self-assessment. Listening to her students’ feedback on her teaching.
  • 28:17 – Christine’s advice to teachers: Understand that feedback is a conversation. It is a two-way conversation between you and each student.
  • 29:50 – 6 questions answered in 15 seconds or less.
  • 33:10 – How to connect with Christine.

Christine’s Recommendations

  • EdTech Tool:
    1. For science: slow-motion cell phone cameras
    2. And Floop, the feedback-based learning I’ve described so far depends on accessible tech that supports the teacher in providing meaningful feedback.
  • Book: “What’s Math Got to Do With It?” by Jo Boeler
  • Who to Follow: Feedback researchers Dr. Naomi Winstone, (@DocWinstone) and David Carless, (@CarlessDavid)
  • YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog: For science teachers – thewondersofscience.com. Which is an NGSS aligned inquiry and phenomena-based lesson bank
  • Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routine: Once a month, reflect on what you dread the most in your practice and hack it. What can you eliminate? What can your delegate? What can you automate? How can you spend your energy where it matters?
  • Best piece of advice you’ve ever received: Brene Brown once shared, “I can’t know if people are doing the best they can or not, but when I assume people are doing the best they can, it makes my life better.” So…have strong personal boundaries so that you can make the most generous assumptions about other people.

Links to Connect With Christine

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