Constructive Feedback
THE NEED FOR CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
Constructive feedback is the key to building confidence in performers and in giving them a positive experience that will foster further learning.
In my early years as a pianist, I worked really hard to compete in a local Festival’s Concerto competition. Many months of work went into learning the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2, made famous as ‘The Steadfast Tin Soldier‘ episode in Fantasia 2000. As a young pianist, one of my greatest struggles was learning songs by memory–and this Concerto is many pages long. After my performance, I was quite relieved to have made it through the entire Concerto without any memory breakdowns–a win for me!
The adjudicator stood up and proceeded to tear apart the performances. I was dreading what she was going to say about my performance. “Who performed the Shostakovich?” she snapped. When I timidly raised my hand, she fixed me with a sharp stare and growled: “Frankly, that was the most boring performance I have ever heard.” I was devastated. Afterwards, the kindly Chairman of Music from the local University approached me and said, “I would NEVER have said such a thing to you, dear. You keep going.”
Two such different responses, but one had the potential to take away the desire to perform music. Ever. Again. Thankfully, I chose to use the adjudicator’s criticism as a building block–to make sure that I made my music as interesting as possible from that day forward. It has also served as a constant reminder to be extra careful to make feedback instructive and constructive. I won’t lie though, it took me a long time to have the confidence to perform again.
Whether the feedback you give is for a student you see every week, or whether it is for a performer that you only hear once briefly as an adjudicator, there are some tips that are useful for giving constructive feedback.
PROVIDING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK AT A LESSON
Giving constructive feedback is a skill that needs to be learned and practised. It is a skill that may come naturally to some people, but here are a few handy tips to make giving feedback a positive experience for the teacher and for the student. The goal in giving feedback is to learn to do it gracefully, in a way that will be appreciated, and in a way that is helpful to the student.
A DOZEN TIPS FOR GIVING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
1. Constructive feedback should teach something useful.
The best way to provide feedback is to think of a sandwich. Compliment them with something POSITIVE. Provide constructive instruction. End with something POSITIVE.
Providing feedback means giving students a clear explanation of what they are doing right AND what they could improve upon. I have seen too many exam results where the adjudicator didn’t identify things that needed a little more attention, or gave specific suggestions on how to improve the performance.
2. Be sensitive to the individual needs of the student.
Treat each student as the individual that they are. We have students that are very different. Some need encouragement to achieve at a high level. Others need to be handled gently to encourage learning and a healthy self-esteem. Seek a balance between providing proper encouragement and protecting their feelings. Make sure your comments are impersonal. Critique the performance not the person.
3. Have specific goals
Give the students specific information about their performance and what they can do to improve. Help them to choose achievable practice goals that they can work on to steadily improve week by week. Giving feedback about what is working during the lesson should help them to fine-tune their practice habits.
4. Check in regularly.
Writing down specific instructions regularly in an assignment notebook can keep practice on track. Recording observations and feedback will help them to organize their practice and improve their performance. If you aren’t able to get to everything you want to in a lesson, end with a quick discussion about the stuff you didn’t get to–ask if they are on track, if they have any questions about what they should be working on, etc.
5. Examine your own facial cues.
Facial expressions and gestures are ways that we communicate non-verbally. Do you find yourself telling students: “Look at the music, not my face”? I have several students that look for feedback from my facial expressions. Or ones that will stop playing if I so much as shift my weight on my chair or breathe a little bit louder than usual! Facial cues and body language are an important part of our feedback process.
6. Keep it simple.
It makes a bigger impact if you focus on a few things at a time when commenting about a performance. Pick one or two major things to work on for the next time. Then make sure it’s done before moving on!
7. Ask for their input.
When making assignments, let them have input on what is achievable in the next week. Ask them to let you know when they have more time or less time to practice. If they are under deadlines for many other projects, they will probably appreciate it when you adjust their workload accordingly.
As students get older, you can have the student take notes while you do the talking. The student can use their assignment book or make notes directly on their scores with a pencil. When they are doing the writing, they are more likely to remember what they need to fix or concentrate on.
8. Teach students how to give feedback.
Peer evaluation can be a fun thing and is an excellent way to train students to give positive, constructive feedback. Provide them with questions to help direct their feedback: “What did you like about the performance?” “What did the song make you think of?” etc. You can choose to teach them how to make a “feedback sandwich” or you can limit comments to positive ones. You can do this at recitals, concerts, or even with YouTube videos.
Some students even like to “be the boss”. Now and then, I will switch chairs with students and let them correct my mistakes.
Invite students to do their own evaluations. Ask them to make a recording or a video of songs they are working on. Then have them self-critique by starting them off with some general questions if needed. Was there something about their performance that you really liked? What could they change? Are there some areas that they need to work on? Ask them to reflect on what they learned.
10. Track their progress.
There are various examples of assignment sheets that some studios use. I’ve used plain notebooks and dictation notebooks (one side is ruled sheets, the other side is manuscript paper) to write down the student’s assignment of the week. I also use my tablet to take quick notes that get e-mailed to them at the end of every lesson. It depends on the student’s preferences.
Both ways keep track of what was accomplished and what we will be looking at the following week. It keeps lessons and learning moving forward, and you have a record of what has been accomplished. It also makes it clear what you expect the student to be practising in the coming week and can outline areas that need improvement.
Provide a clear example of what you are looking for. Students who are ‘non-practicers’ sometimes just need a lesson on HOW to practice. With some of the younger students, just pointing out that they need to play a certain passage, this way, this number of times is all they need to get going with their personal practice.
11. Give genuine praise.
Be genuine and be specific when you are giving praise. Catch-all phrases like “Good job” or “Nice work” quickly lose their meaning when used too much. Positive remarks can be started this way: “I like how you did ____ here because ______.”
Posting milestones on the bulletin board in my studio is a great way to give praise. I post certificates, exam results, and praiseworthy things. It’s a good place to keep track of a 40 piece challenge chart or to praise any behaviour that you are thrilled about. For students that don’t wish to perform in recitals, I’ll make a little video of the student and put it through some editing software on my laptop to add an introduction and then e-mail it to the parent.
Notice the hard work that has gone into a piece. Make an effort to notice your student’s improvement. When they are practising every day, it’s sometimes hard for them to see how far they’ve come. Make a point of reminding them, “Remember when you found XX difficult?” Encourage them to review earlier pieces and see what has changed since the first time they played that piece.
12. Questions and suggestions vs. criticisms.
If your ultimate goal is to have your student learn something, structuring your comments as questions or suggestions can foster a learning environment. Learning problem-solving skills and how to self-evaluate are invaluable tools that will help them whenever they are learning something new.
Feedback can be an excellent tool when it is correctly used as a part of the learning process. Keeping in mind these tips can go a long way towards developing an excellent student – teacher relationship.
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