Instructor Training

Basic Feedback

Getting constructive criticism from our peers is the engine that drives iteration & professional development. In this exercise, learners will exchange some feedback on brief lessons, and iterate base on that criticism.

Made by the Mozilla Science Lab

Steps for the Activity (30 min)

  1. Ask students to devise a new 3 minute lesson on the topic they've been teaching (10 min).
  2. Have students assemble groups of 3; one person presents, one listens, and one records. Listener then delivers feedback that is both specific and actionable (20 min).
  3. Discussion topics:
    • Who went overtime? Sense of time is skewed in stressful situations. Having a second instructor (or deputizing an advanced student) to give subtle feedback on pace and classroom attitude is very helpful.
    • Who could give their partner's presentation? Why not? A single minute is only enough to convey one simple idea, at most.
    • Who could do their talk in half the time?
  4. Optional: Repeat the exercise, speaking only for 30 seconds this time. Concision saves us time explaining things we didn't need to, and buys us time to address specific misconceptions tailored to our students.
  5. Discussion topics:
    • Who found the feedback surprising? Why?
    • Some people struggle to separate criticism from insult (both giving and receiving). Being extremely specific and exact in our crtique helps keep things civil.