Improving the Feedback Loop

Not long ago, physicians were taught that direct and clear feedback was the most important part of a medical appointment. Sometimes, that feedback was given in the form of an admonishment, such as, “You need to stop smoking or you’ll have another heart attack!”

I was reminded of this when I recently read an article about teachers’ feedback to parents. Feedback was described as information that could be classified into four categories: (1) students’ academic success (or lack thereof); (2) learning strengths and weaknesses; (3) social adjustment; (4) self-management skills. 

But looking at family-teacher meetings as an exchange of neatly categorized information oversimplifies the interaction. It overlooks the fact that teachers and parents may have different values, backgrounds and worldviews. It implies that communication flows in only one direction: from experts (i.e., teachers) to recipients (i.e., family members).

Effective meetings require that families and teachers learn from one another and collaboratively develop plans to help students succeed in school. Below are a few recommendations to engage and involve families in the process of exchanging feedback about their children:

1. Listen and learn from families. Children’s behavior in the home may not be similar to their behavior at school. For example, a shy student may fade into the back of the classroom but may be social and talkative at home. It is important to confirm your observations about students with parents before making recommendations.
2. Get on the same page as families about both the problem and its causes. For example, if poor reading performance is the issue and the discussion goes no further, a parent may leave the conference believing his child’s reading deficits are due to laziness. He may berate the child and act on recommendations for more at-home reading by simply forcing his child to sit down and read more. Rather, listen to parents’ explanations of problem behavior (even if you disagree), and share your own perspective on how to supportively address it. Build consensus. For example, discuss how frustration and reading difficulties may lead to homework avoidance and classroom disengagement, which appear to be laziness but are actually something different.
3. When developing recommendations for parents, think beyond the classroom. Although we may see our learning objectives as top priorities, students’ lives are far more complicated than classroom boundaries permit us to see. I was clearly reminded of this when a friend shared that one of her students was aggressive and disruptive in class when he didn’t eat breakfast. Collaborating with families allows us to identify variables that impact learning and behavioral and social wellness. In the case of my friend’s student, the goal of a conference might be encouraging the student’s guardians to make sure he arrives at school in time for the reduced cost/free breakfast. Offer suggestions, but also encourage families to share their feedback and ideas about the types of at-home activities appropriate for their children.
4. Consider cultural differences between home and school life. Feedback should take into account the parents’ cultures, values and investment in the educational process. Blanca Quiroz and colleagues, in the book Readings for Bridging Cultures: Teacher Education Module, describes a Mexican mother who interpreted the feedback that her daughter was doing “outstanding” as her daughter showing off. Quiroz explains that education is something that Latino immigrant families, who are more interdependent than European-American ones, see as a way of supporting the family rather than promoting the individual potentials of a child. For example, it may be more helpful to discuss how students’ grades show how hard they are working and the families’ dedication to their children’s education rather than the students’ unique abilities.
5. Be mindful of praise. Sometimes, the most obvious response to a student’s success is praise of her intelligence, natural ability or talents. Dr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychologist and author of the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, questions this seemingly positive strategy. Decades of research by Dweck and her colleagues has found that when students were told that academic success was based on natural abilities and talents they were more likely to give up or put less effort when confronted with challenging tasks and tests. However, teaching students that intelligence is really a sign of hard work and can be learned results in persistence through difficult tasks and performing better in school. These attitudes are no doubt communicated in many ways: teacher-to-student, parent-to-child and teacher-to-parent. When communicating with parents, avoid describing student success (or lack thereof) in ways that are fixed and innate. Emphasize to parents the role of hard work, experiences and trial-and-error learning when supporting changes in their students’ academic behaviors.

Making families an active part of the educational process isn’t just about making them feel included; it truly is a responsive, critical practice that can make a huge difference in your students’ abilities to connect and feel safe in the classroom. Listening carefully to one family might also spark new ideas for working with another, informing your practice and adding layers to your skills as a whole-child educator.

Drwal is a psychologist at the Iowa City VA Hospital. He works with and advocates for veterans and their families.