The purpose of assessments is to support our students’ growth. To help them see where they are and where they have to go. To be able to do that, we need to give simple, clear and actionable feedback to our students. Glow and Grow Feedback Tool is one such strategy.
In this article, we’ll explore what Glow and Grow Feedback Tool is, why it works, and how you can implement it in your classroom to enhance student learning and engagement.
What is Glow and Grow Feedback?
Glow & Grow is a popular tool for reflection and feedback. It provides a framework for both positive feedback and areas for improvement. It has two parts:
Glow: Highlights the student’s strengths, achievements, or things they have done well.
Grow: Identifies areas for improvement and offers actionable suggestions to help students develop their skills further.
This balanced feedback approach encourages a growth mindset, empowering students to view challenges as opportunities for improvement.
Why Use Glow and Grow Feedback Tool?
- Promotes Positive Learning Experiences: Glow and Grow Feedback ensures students feel acknowledged and valued, boosting their confidence and motivation.
- Encourages Self-Reflection: By focusing on strengths and growth areas, students learn to critically evaluate their own work and set goals for improvement.
- Supports Differentiated Learning: This method allows teachers to tailor feedback to individual student needs, making it effective for diverse classrooms.
- Fosters a Growth Mindset: Students learn that skills can be developed with effort and perseverance, leading to long-term academic success.
How to Use Glow and Grow Feedback in the Classroom
Glow and Grow feedback can be used when giving written feedback as well as verbal feedback. When grading assessments or sharing feedback verbally to students, follow these steps to give structured feedback:
- Start with Glow: Share what the student did well in their work. For example: “Your introduction was engaging and grabbed the reader’s attention right away.” , “You’ve used excellent evidence to support your argument in this essay.”
- Follow with a Grow: Share constructive feedback that offers one or two areas of improvement for the student. For example: “Consider adding more details to your conclusion to reinforce your main points.” , “Work on varying your sentence structure to make your writing more dynamic.
- End with a positive note: Reinforce the student’s ability to grow and improve. Example: “With a little more practice, I’m confident you’ll master this skill!”
Tips for Effective Glow and Grow Feedback
- Be Specific: Vague feedback like “Good job” or “Try harder” doesn’t help students understand what they did well or how they can improve. Focus on specific examples.
- Balance Glows and Grows: Avoid overwhelming students with too many growth points. Focus on one or two actionable suggestions at a time.
- Encourage Dialogue: Invite students to ask questions about the feedback and discuss their growth areas.
- Leverage Peer Feedback: Teach students to provide Glow and Grow feedback to their peers, fostering collaboration and deeper learning.
Examples of Glow and Grow
- A teacher is evaluating class presentations on Photosynthesis for Grade 7. The glows and grows given to students can look like this:
Glow: You did an excellent job explaining the photosynthesis process clearly, making it easy for everyone to understand.
Grow: It would be great if you could dive a bit deeper into some aspects of photosynthesis for a more comprehensive understanding.
- A Teacher is distributing term-end answer scripts and is giving glows and grows to students. It can look like this:
Glow: You have shown significant improvement in your understanding of the subject compared to the beginning of the term.
Grow: I noticed a few instances of errors in calculations. Please double-check your work for accuracy.
The Glow and Grow Feedback method is an effective way to create a supportive learning environment where students feel motivated to improve. By balancing positive reinforcement with constructive suggestions, educators can help students build confidence, develop skills, and achieve academic success.
Take the Next Step: Cultivating a Growth Mindset in Students
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Cultivating A Growth Mindset In Students
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