The Master Teacher Blog

During the first weeks of school, we spend significant time and energy getting to know our students and having them get to know us. We know that the more we know about our students, the better able we will be to meet their needs and support their learning.

However, getting to know a class or multiple classes of learners is a significant undertaking. We may discover that we gravitate to some students while finding others to be a challenge. We may also look for shortcuts to create an image and profile of our students. Consequently, we can be tempted to make assumptions about students based on factors such as their appearance, what we have heard about them from colleagues, our early interactions with them, or their initial performance in our classroom. Some of our assumptions may be correct, but others may need to be reexamined and adjusted with further experience. However, there are at least five assumptions about students that we need to avoid altogether.

We need to resist assuming that a student:

• Will behave just like their siblings. When students who are siblings of former students enter our class, we can be tempted to make assumptions and prejudge their character and behavior based on our experience with a brother or sister, especially if there is a close physical resemblance. Our prejudgment can be positive or negative. Regardless, our assumptions can be harmful to these students. We may unintentionally place unrealistic pressure on them to perform. Or we may be quick to pounce on any misbehavior, thinking that we need to get ahead of a negative behavior pattern. Whether positive or negative, they are just assumptions, and they risk our misjudging and treating these students unfairly.
• Is not interested in a relationship with us. We sometimes experience students who seem resistant to our attempts to get to know them and form a relationship. It can be tempting to assume that they are not interested and pull back in our efforts to connect. Of course, one possibility is that the student truly does not want to connect with us. However, there are many potential reasons why a student might be reluctant. Negative past experiences might make the student hesitate, or they may be hiding factors and pressures in their lives that they do not want revealed should we get close to them. Our persistent invitations and continued opportunities to connect may be exactly what the student needs to break through the barriers they face and overcome their reluctance to allow us to connect with them.
• Is a lazy person and learner. Some students may seem to care little about the learning we ask of them. They may appear disengaged and not responsive to our instruction. Based on our observations, we might assume that the student is just lazy and uninterested. While we might be correct, this judgment is just one of many possibilities. The student may be reluctant to invest because of a pattern of failure in the past. What they need may be our support and coaching. They may be dealing with challenges outside of our class and school that are overwhelming, leaving them with little bandwidth to invest in learning. Our interest and understanding, and maybe a referral for help, might be what they need to find their way and invest in learning. We gain little by assuming laziness and applying increasing pressure on them to change their behavior. In fact, doing so may make the situation worse.
• Will continue to perform in the future as they have in the past. The truth is that past performance does not have to predict future performance. Many factors can influence the effort, focus, and persistence students will give to their learning. In fact, we may be the force that changes the trajectory of their learning and future. Our confidence, persistence, and encouragement may be exactly what is needed to interrupt a pattern of failure. Interestingly, even small shifts and incremental improvement now can magnify over time. Our influence to build confidence, fill skill and knowledge gaps, and nurture a sense of hope and possibility can make a lifelong difference, regardless of the student’s performance before encountering us.
• Is motivated by the same things that motivated us. History shows that we often teach the same way that we were taught. We may assume that what worked for us should work for our students. Similarly, we might assume that the factors that we found motivating as learners are the same factors our students should find motivating. We may have performed because we felt it was expected of us. We may be drawn to academic activities and find formal learning satisfying and fun. However, even though these factors were powerful for us, they are not universal motivators. Many students will not respond to these factors but may be drawn to others. We know from research that elements such as autonomy, mastery, purpose, and sense of belonging are near universal motivators, but even these factors vary in their power to motivate from student to student. Some learners respond to having more flexibility and choice while others want to know how what they learn will be important and useful. Our challenge is to get to know our students well enough to understand what motivates them. When we know, we can design learning experiences that draw on and maximize the impact of these factors on their learning.

Assumptions can feel like shortcuts to understanding our students. However, assumptions can be traps that lead us to treat students in ways that, while seeming reasonable, can be harmful to our students, their learning, and their relationship with us.

We live in a world that too often seems filled with negativity. Consequently, it can be difficult to maintain a positive attitude, find possibilities in the problems we face, and remain resilient despite the challenges that surround us. Yet, our optimism can be a source of hope and confidence. Optimism helps us to see our challenges as temporary and our situation as something that can be improved with time, and it reminds us that we can be a force for change.  

While optimism may seem like a “nice to have” outlook, it offers several important mental, emotional, and physical benefits. Optimism has been shown to lessen levels of stress and reduce risks of depression and anxiety. Optimistic people tend to be more productive and find their work and life more fulfilling. Additionally, optimists tend to face lower risks of heart disease, stroke, and other heart- and blood-related medical conditions. They also experience the benefits of a stronger immune system, so they tend to be sick less often.  

Some people seem to have been born optimistic, while others seem unable to see anything but negativity and spread their attitude widely. However, most of us fall along a continuum from somewhat negative to somewhat positive. Where we land may be dependent on our current mood and the problems and worries we face. We may wish that we could be more positive more of the time, but we may not be sure how to make the shift. Fortunately, there are many experience-tested and research-supported actions we can take. Here are eight to consider.   

Make smiling a habit. While smiling may take little effort, it can make us happier and more optimistic because the combination of muscles involved in smiling releases a brain chemical that makes us feel happier and more relaxed. Meanwhile, when others see our smile, they are more likely to smile in response. Consequently, we feel more connected and optimistic.  

Increase time spent with positive people. Optimism is contagious. We tend to adopt the attitudes and beliefs of the people with whom we spend most of our time. We can increase the impact when we choose to be positive in their presence. Positive people are more likely to accept, value, and encourage our positivity. Conversely, negative people are more likely to discount, devalue, and discourage any optimistic words and views. Focus on lifting others up; when we do, we are likely to feel better and more optimistic.  

Cultivate a sense of gratitude. Reflecting on the people, opportunities, and other things for which we are thankful is a powerful way to increase our optimism. Gratitude shifts our focus from what we do not have and what is lacking to what makes our lives abundant. Taking time daily to reflect, and even jot down, things for which we are grateful can begin to rewire our brains to notice and be more appreciative of the positive aspects of our lives and leave us more optimistic.  

Practice positive self-talk. Being conscious of negative thoughts is the first step in changing them. We can monitor negative thoughts and challenge and change them. Rather than “I can’t do it,” we can think “I have not done it yet, but I have overcome challenges before.” And rather than “I might fail and be embarrassed,” we might think “I may make mistakes, but I can learn from them and improve.”  

Adopt daily affirmations. Positive messages repeated daily have been shown to improve well-being, increase confidence, and reduce self-doubt. The human mind gives credibility to repetition, so when we regularly reinforce positive thoughts, intentions, and expectations, our brains pay attention and give additional weight to the meaning and implications associated with what we say. We might start with simple statements such as “I am going to succeed,” “Every day I get better and learn more,” or “The challenges I face make me stronger.”  

Identify something daily to look forward to. Anticipation of something positive can have a surprisingly powerful influence on our mood and leave us feeling less stressed. What we look forward to does not have to be grand, but it does need to be meaningful. Looking forward to even seemingly simple things like enjoying coffee with a friend, a leisurely evening walk, engaging in a favored hobby, or spending time with a good book can make a positive difference and leave us feeling more optimistic.  

Set and work toward meaningful goals. Goals by definition are optimistic. After all, they focus our attention on making progress and achieving success. Breaking goals down into manageable, incremental steps helps us to see progress and increases our confidence. Further, steps we take toward achieving our goals can give us a sense of power to create positive outcomes in our lives.  

Reframe problems and setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow. Shifting our perspective can uncover powerful strategies that might be overlooked if our focus is on the severity of our problems or the disappointment of an unsuccessful effort. Reframing our experience can remind us of the power that lies in how we choose to respond to our experiences. We cannot always control what happens to us, but we can control how we choose to respond.  

Developing a more optimistic outlook on life can take time. Setbacks can be expected, doubts will surface, and old habits will be resistant to change. What is important is to notice and celebrate progress. With time and persistence, optimism will grow and become an even greater part of who we are and prepare us to face life’s challenges with greater resilience and hope.  

We frequently read about, hear about, and otherwise experience how each generation approaches the concept of work with unique characteristics that set it apart from other generations. Baby boomers, for example, are often labeled as wanting to create and leave a legacy. Generation X is described as wanting stability, autonomy, and respect for their individuality. Millennials are frequently described as being on a quest for social impact and are known for embracing technology. The most recent group to enter the workforce, Generation Z, is seen as hungry for authenticity, digital fluency, and constant connectivity. 

Despite these differences, there are unique characteristics and priorities shared by generations that are typically formed by life experiences and resulting expectations. Such generalities can be useful as we engage and work with members of other generations, but we need to remind ourselves that individuals may not fully fit the descriptors assigned to their generations.  

We also need to be careful not to ignore an overriding truth about work values and priorities across generations. The truth is that there is much that all people have in common and important priorities that they share regardless of the cohort into which they were born. In fact, researchers and experts point to at least eight work values held in common across generations. Failure to pay attention to these values and priorities can overshadow and even negate actions and initiatives designed to appeal to generational workers. Let’s explore these eight shared motivational and satisfaction drivers—and why they matter:  

• Purpose. Regardless of our associated generation, we want to feel that what we do matters. We want to make a difference, and meaningful contributions matter. This driver includes sharing the values and priorities of the organization for which we work. It is also associated with the importance of being able to take pride in our work and enjoying what we do.  
• Respect. We want to be consulted and listened to. Respect is knowing that our experience and expertise are noticed and valued. Some people feel respect when they can share their expertise, while for others, respect is reflected in opportunities to innovate and in the empowerment to make meaningful decisions.  
• Belonging. We need to feel connected and included. We also want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Naturally, too, we want to enjoy the people with whom we work. The opportunity to practice with competent, caring, and collaborative colleagues can be exceptionally motivating.  
• Trust. We like to feel that our team has confidence in us and supports our efforts to be successful in our work. Trust can take the form of flexibility in our approach, organization, and practice, and it can be communicated in the form of being given the autonomy to create, innovate, and modify practices and approaches. Feeling trusted can be a powerful motivator regardless of our generation.  
• Appreciation. We want to know that our efforts and contributions are recognized and appreciated. Of course, there are variations in how people may want to be recognized. Some people prefer a private conversation, some respond to public recognition, and still others might prefer something tangible such as a letter, certificate, or award. Regardless, appreciation and recognition need to be timely, specific, and authentic. Additionally, expressions of appreciation and recognition are most impactful when they highlight contributions that are connected to organizational goals or respond to significant organizational challenges.  
• Challenge. We want to develop new skills that help us to be increasingly effective in our roles. We want opportunities to take on new challenges and advance in our careers. Of course, the specific nature and level of the challenges and opportunities we seek to advance may vary, but we want to stay fresh, grow, and succeed.  
• Balance. We desire a healthy balance between our personal and professional lives. We want to be able to establish boundaries between our time at and away from work—and have them respected. Being given flexibility and the understanding to manage emergencies and unexpected circumstances can also be significant motivators and satisfiers.  
• Compensation. We want to feel as though our contributions are compensated fairly. Admittedly, the subject of compensation is a longstanding and significant challenge in education. Pay for educators is not always competitive with other professions requiring comparable education and skills, and state budgets and policies often create limits in the amount of funding available. However, providing flexibility and customizing compensation in response to individual needs and interests can make a difference.  

Without question, we need to respect the uniqueness of each generation. However, we also must remember and give attention to what motivates all of us, regardless of when we were born and which generation we represent. The fact is that we have much more in common than we have that separates us.  

Summer is an opportune time to reflect on our professional profile. Reacquainting ourselves with our strengths and talents can be a source of renewed pride and cause for celebration. Revisiting areas that could use greater attention and more consistent focus can lead us to shift some priorities and make new commitments. And uncovering areas with potential for growth can lead to useful learning, new habits, and growing insight.

Our profession demands a wide array of abilities in response to a wide array of challenges that arise while we effectively engage students, colleagues, and others. Consequently, our reflection might be a list of behaviors and characteristics that are typically associated with high performance and universal effectiveness. While not necessarily all-encompassing, here is a list of nine “abilities” (including a few “-ibility” words modified for the purpose of this article) and related questions we can ask ourselves to start our reflection:

• Reli-ABILITY: Am I a “go-to” person when others want someone who will be certain a task or project is completed? Am I someone people turn to with a challenge or problem that needs attention? Can I be depended on to show up and follow through?
• Account-ABILITY: When something does not go as planned, do I take responsibility, or do I try to deflect, deny, or distract? Am I someone who, once I make a promise, follows through no matter what happens?
• Cred-ABILITY: Do I avoid exaggeration, pontification, and conjecture? Do people seek out my opinion and judgment? Do I continually build my professional knowledge base?
• Flex-ABILITY: How easily do I adjust to unexpected events, last-minute requests, and unanticipated expectations? Am I able to go with the flow, or do I become rigid and stressed in the face of change? Do I need advanced warnings, time to adjust, or someone to blame?
• Adapt-ABILITY: When conditions change, and I need to change in response, do I resist and press to keep things the way they were, or do I explore what I need to do to remain successful, then shift my approach or practice and continue to learn? Do I remain aware of trends and conditions that may make future adaptation necessary?
• Like-ABILITY: How well do I make positive first impressions and build deep and lasting relationships? Does it feel as though people want to be around me? Do I smile most of the time? Do I learn and remember people’s names? Do I give my full attention when people are speaking to me?
• Coach-ABILITY: How often do I seek constructive feedback? How well do I receive and act on the advice I receive? Can I set my ego aside when it is time to learn a new skill or practice a new approach?
• Inspir-ABILITY: (Yes, it is a real word.) What inspires me? How often am I inspired? When was the last time I experienced awe? How do I inspire others? How effectively do I share my enthusiasm and passion?
• Humor-ABILITY: (No, it is not a real word, but it should be.) How often do I see and share humor in my work with students and colleagues? Am I conscious of irony and absurdity in the situations I encounter? How often do I laugh with my students and colleagues?

If revisiting some of these “abilities” (reliability, accountability, credibility, flexibility, adaptability, likeability, coachability, inspirability, and "humorability") leaves us feeling uncomfortable or wondering if we need to shift, learn, or grow, now is great time to explore and commit to making change. Summertime may offer opportunities to practice, or we may start now to plan how we will make adjustments in the fall.

In a world of complexity, diversity, and conflict, we need every tool available to navigate our relationships, find our way through conflict, and understand the people with whom we interact. Fortunately, there is a long-standing, “tried and true,” dependable tool available to us; yet it is often ignored or rejected as too threatening to closely held assumptions, judgments, and biases.

That tool is perspective-taking. Perspective-taking is the ability to see things from other viewpoints, and it can help us to infer or otherwise understand another person’s feelings, thoughts, and views without having experienced them. With perspective-taking, we can accept that a person’s experiences, biases, and expectations may lead them to see situations differently.

Perspective-taking is present at some level in most effective communications and interactions. It is a precursor to empathy; before we can understand and relate to another person’s experiences and emotions, we need to be able to see from their viewpoint. When we understand another person’s perspective, what they are thinking and feeling, we are better able to relate to them and understand their needs. In the words of the late Steven Covey, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

We might think about perspective-taking as having three forms. Perceptual/visual perspective-taking involves inferences about how another person sees, hears, perceives from their physical location. This is the lowest level of perspective-taking and develops earliest in children.  Conceptual/cognitive perspective-taking involves recognizing another person’s point of view, desire, attitude, and intentions. While the importance and utility of this type of perspective-taking seems obvious, its absence is at the heart of much of the conflict we experience in the world today. The third type, affective/social sensitivity perspective-taking, relates to identifying and understanding the feelings of others. This form of perspective-taking can be the most challenging and time consuming. It requires greater patience and understanding than the other forms, but it is also the most powerful form as it features empathy and engagement and often leads to greater levels of caring and deeper commitment.

While perspective-taking at its simplest level is teachable to early elementary school children, it is an important social skill for people of all ages. In fact, it may be more important today than at any time in recent history. Consider these benefits of perspective-taking:

• Improved communication and reduced misunderstanding. Clarity is the starting point for mutual understanding and trust building.
• Broader insight into how others view a situation or issue. It is important to recognize that there are multiple ways to view almost anything in life.
• Reduced bias, faulty assumptions, and misjudgment. Destructive conflict almost always has at its core assumptions, judgments, and biases that confuse and mask what is important and worth resolving.
• Revelation of mutual and conflicting interests to be considered and resolved. As we gain an understanding of how others view issues and situations, we are better able recognize areas of agreement as well as clarify where interests and motives may diverge. Consequently, we can focus on real issues and work toward worthy solutions.
• Greater empathy. Until we know how others view their circumstances, we are not in the position to accept, relate to, care for, or support them.
• Improved self-awareness. Learning how others view issues and circumstances can help us to better understand, evaluate, and appreciate our own perspective.

So, what are some strategies we can use to teach students to practice perspective-taking? Here are some places to start:

• Have students look at a picture of a person’s face and predict at least two thoughts the person may be having. Ask students to identify clues they used to guess the thoughts they propose. Discuss with students how observation can lead us to speculate but how knowing and understanding requires engagement. Speculating about what a person is thinking is better than nothing, but asking, listening, and seeking clarity is far more effective.
• Present students with a current issue or topic of disagreement. Follow with open-ended questions: How might there be variance in how someone in this circumstance sees or feels about what is happening? Why might there be more than one explanation for how people will react to an experience? What accounts for your perspective, and how might someone else see it differently?
• Engage students with case studies featuring conflict from history or lived experience. Coach students as they search for evidence of the absence of perspective-taking and how its presence might have led to the avoidance of conflict and tragedy.
• Model perspective-taking in real time. For example, we might seize the opportunity when a student or students are struggling to grasp another’s point of view. We might coach with questions such as: Why would they do/say that? How might they see the situation differently than you? What might they know that would help you to understand their behavior? What might you know that would help to resolve the situation?
• Coach perspective-taking when conflicts occur. Stop the action and ask, “What do you think the other person might be thinking/feeling? How could you find out? How might what you learn shift your thinking?”
• Invite students to identify misunderstandings and conflicts they have experienced and coach them to analyze how engaging in perspective-taking might have helped to avoid or mitigate the situation.

Perspective-taking may not be a familiar term, but it is an important social skill for our students to learn and practice. Taking time to teach and reinforce perspective-taking can reduce the number and intensity of conflicts in our classes while preparing students for a world in which understanding the perspectives of others is a “must-have” competency.

We want others to see us as wise and knowledgeable people. We aspire to have students, colleagues, and other people in our lives look to us for information and advice. Being a source of knowledge and wisdom is a worthy personal and professional life goal.

While knowledge and wisdom are not the same, they are related in important ways. Knowledge involves the accumulation, possession, and sharing of useful information. Wisdom extends beyond knowledge to include implications, nuance, context, and meaning. Knowledge demonstrates what we know. Wisdom often exposes what we may miss or have yet to learn. Knowledge is often temporal and may even lose its value over time. Wisdom becomes even more valuable and sought after as time passes.

In our personal and professional lives, we also want to be around and learn from wise people. In times of complexity, uncertainty, and unpredictability, wisdom can be a precious commodity. The question is, “How can we become wise?”

We have been trained in knowledge-building processes and have honed our practice over time. However, we may have given less thought to how to build wisdom. The good news is that we do not necessarily have to develop a new set of skills. In fact, wisdom is more likely to come from thoughtfully and consistently practicing familiar strategies and behaviors than building a new skillset. Consider these seven strategies as places to start:

• Practice deep listening. People often tell us much more than what they intend to convey in their words. What is not said may be as important as what is spoken, and what is repeated can signal what is most meaningful or concerning to the speaker. Notice nonverbal behaviors. When behavior and words are not aligned, there is more to explore and learn.
• Be curious. Ask meaningful questions. Questions are among the most powerful tools for uncovering hidden meaning, overlooked elements, and unconsidered opportunities. Consider the “why” and “why not” of challenges, confusion, and conundrums. Nudge yourself and others to think beyond what “should be” to consider what “could be.”
• Look for themes and patterns. When we step back and observe with distance, we can often see what is not visible up close. As we consider situations from other perspectives, we often discover what is driving the energy and motivation in the situation. Emerging themes and patterns can help us to develop insights to investigate and possibilities to pursue.
• Find time to reflect. Reflection is one of the most effective ways to engage in sense-making, insight-building, intentional learning. It is said that wisdom is the product of reflective alchemy. Reflection helps us to interpret what we have experienced, place it in a context, and focus our learning.
• Seek advice. Not all advice we receive is useful. However, having access to the perspectives of others gives us choices, allows us to evaluate alternatives, and presents opportunities for us to tap experiences beyond our own.
• Be coached. The best coaches focus on helping us to become the best we can be. They ask questions that lead us to question and reconsider. They help us to test our assumptions and examine our mental models.
• Find a mentor. Mentors play a slightly different role than coaches. Mentors are more likely to share their experiences and offer insights based on the lessons they have learned. Their contributions, like advice, offer alternatives to consider and can help us to avoid unnecessary mistakes and missteps, while providing underlying insights, understanding, and context for our consideration.   

Without question, knowledge and wisdom are important elements to pursue and develop. Knowledge gives us access to useful information. Wisdom tells us how to make sense of it. Or, as Jimi Hendrix puts it, “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”

Students rarely achieve beyond what they believe is attainable. Of course, perceptions about attainability are formed by multiple factors. Past performance with similar challenges, family expectations and history, relatively safe and supportive learning environments, and relationships with the teacher are among the most influential factors.

Many students are fortunate to come from families with high expectations and a history of academic success who instill success-building strategies and habits in their children. These habits and strategies have led these students to experience academic success and created expectations for future success. Through different means, other students have learned these as well as other skills and strategies that have led to success and are part of their approaches to learning. They expect to be challenged and to do well. Consequently, we do not have to invest significant time and effort in lifting their expectations and aspirations.

Unfortunately, many students do not have these advantages. They may not have a history of academic success. They may never have learned and practiced the skills and habits that could lift their performance and increase their ability to succeed in the face of significant challenges. As a result, they face at least two barriers. First, because they do not have a history of success, they may not believe success is possible. Second, they lack the learning tools necessary to lift their expectations and achieve at significantly higher levels.

Obviously, there are contextual factors we can influence. We can create a safe and supportive learning environment. We can hold high expectations for the achievement of our students and communicate our belief in their potential to succeed. We can also share our confidence and seek the support of families to lift expectations and provide encouragement and support when their children struggle.

We also need to consider the learning we are asking of students. Students need to see the value and utility of what they are learning. Content that students find interesting, skills that are important to them, and connections to the world beyond the classroom can motivate students to want to do better and be successful. There are also concrete steps we can take to help students build skills and lift their learning aspirations and expectations.

First, we must help students to see, experience, and believe that higher levels of achievement are possible. We can share examples of people with whom our students are familiar (and, ideally, whom they admire) who faced significant barriers and overcame difficult challenges to achieve unusual success. Beyond the success these people achieved, we need to share and discuss their journey, including challenges they faced, strategies they used to overcome barriers, and the roles of effort, persistence, and resilience.

Second, we can coach students to build a vision for what they might achieve. Without a sense for what could be and what they would like to have happen, little change is likely. At first, the vision might be modest and incremental. Regardless, it needs to be compelling to the student and worth working toward. There will be setbacks and temptations to abandon the vision, but without a vision there is no reason to invest.

Third, we can teach and coach students to build a plan of action. Starting where students are and identifying initial steps, commitments, skills, and strategies can create a sense of hope within the context of reality. For many students, creating a plan may be a new experience. In fact, they may not have solid models and examples to rely on, so we need to be ready to provide varying support, including explicit instruction, based on what students need.

Fourth, we need to encourage students to celebrate small wins and evidence of progress. To sustain commitment to their vision, students need to see connections between their effort and progress. Our feedback might focus on what actions and insights made a difference and led to that progress. If students fail to make a connection between effort and outcomes, they are not likely to persist. Our attention and encouragement as progress emerges can lead students to see even higher goals and deepen their commitment.

Fifth, we can coach students to become resilient. When students experience setbacks, we need to be ready to help them see the situation as an invitation to learn, not a judgement of their character or potential. Supporting students by giving them second chances and opportunities to revise and adjust their efforts can make a big difference. In the words of Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Sixth, as they experience higher levels of achievement, we can nudge students to continue to lift their aspirations and set even higher goals. No evidence is more credible for students than their own accomplishments, especially when they know they have been earned. Our goal is to have students build momentum that can carry them forward to achieve more than they expect and that leads them to believe in themselves and their ability to succeed.

Unless students believe they can do better, they have little reason to invest and persist when they struggle. However, by helping students to set a vision, even if it is a modest one, we can coach them to build the attitudes, skills, and habits that can lead to improvement and eventual success.

We know that feedback is among the most powerful learning supports we can offer to students. However, students are often reluctant (even resistant) to feedback, as it can feel like criticism, and implementing what they are told may seem as though it is beyond their skills and current capacity.

Consequently, we need to be thoughtful as we plan and deliver feedback to learners. Researchers advise that effective feedback must include five key elements; it must be timely, specific, actionable, objective, and goal focused. Unless feedback comes soon after a learning attempt, students can neglect to do anything with it or forget it entirely. Students also need to know exactly what behavior or actions we are addressing, and they need be able to take meaningful action in response. Effective feedback needs to be free of judgment. Finally, when our feedback is connected to a goal that is meaningful to the student, it is more likely to be accepted and acted on.

Of course, our students themselves play an important role in determining whether the feedback we offer is implemented in a meaningful way. The more often students receive quality feedback, the more open they often are to receiving it. However, we can move this process to the next level by helping students develop mindsets that prepare them to receive and act on feedback.

We might share with students that the highest performers in any profession use feedback to stay at an elite level. For example, the best athletes use feedback to gain an edge on their competition. Accomplished musicians and other artists seek feedback to constantly improve their performance. Successful companies also regularly seek feedback from customers to ensure that their products and services are the best they can be.

However, each of these consumers of feedback have important attitudes or mindsets about feedback that makes what they hear useful and helps them to improve. While the mindsets that high performers have regarding feedback might be slightly different, here are five feedback-leveraging mindsets that we can teach to and coach in our students.

I know that feedback is about my learning; it is not a judgment of me. One of the most challenging aspects of receiving feedback is that it can feel like commentary or criticism about who we are. We need to continually reinforce for students that feedback is intended to help them be successful. We need to be careful to always focus our feedback on the actions or behavior of students, not on their character, personality, or identity.

I can improve regardless of my current performance. Hope and confidence are key success drivers when learning is challenging. This perspective relates to what is called a growth mindset. We can teach students and share research showing that intelligence is not assigned at birth and is not unchangeable, but rather, with practice, effort, and commitment, anyone can improve. Equally important, the more we work to improve, the more progress we see.

I control the strategies and conditions necessary for improving. Learning strategies are key to whether students can effectively use the feedback we offer. We empower learning when we teach students strategies such as retrieval practice, interleaving, concept maps, deliberate and distributed practice, self-testing, and others. The more learning strategies students can tap to support their learning, the better able they are to utilize the feedback they receive.

I use feedback to connect my efforts to my goals. Student goal setting is a powerful tool for helping students to focus their attention and efforts, monitor their progress, and build their confidence. When we connect our feedback to the goals students have set and are working toward, we make their learning more efficient and support them to become increasingly independent learners.

I am empowered to ask questions about and clarify feedback I receive. Students are often reluctant to follow up and ask questions to gain a clear understanding of the feedback they receive. Yet, as students move beyond listening and begin to engage in the content and implications of feedback, they understand more deeply and take greater ownership of their actions. Rarely, if ever, should we provide feedback that is not followed by opportunities for questions and discussion.

Feedback is a powerful learning tool, but students must learn how to think about and use it in order for that feedback to deliver on its potential. These five mindsets are good places to start that process.

What if investing less than five minutes per day could change our outlook, help us to become more optimistic, and make us feel better about ourselves? And what if this same set of activities could also leave others with whom we interact wanting to be around and spend more time with us? It may seem fantastical, but it might be easier than we assume. 

The power behind this shift resides in two fundamental truths. First, we tend to find what we look for. When we seek and expect to find good in others, we see more of it. Discovering more good leads us to being more positive and optimistic. Second, when we share with others what we notice about the positive behaviors and characteristics they demonstrate and the difference they make, they feel better about themselves and us. The more that we notice the good around us, the better we feel. The more we share with others the good they bring, the better they feel.  

The good news is that we do not have to allocate significant new time or add demanding tasks to our daily routines to experience such a shift. What is important is where we focus and what we prioritize. We need to look for specific actions, interactions, and impacts to collect and share. In fact, noticing as few as two or three things a day and sharing our observations with others is enough to get started.  

How we share our observations also matters. Mentioning what we notice is good, but for real impact and staying power, we need to spend at least twenty seconds adding details, examples, and context, and describing their impact. In fact, the twenty seconds we spend acknowledging a person’s strengths and impact can make their day or week—and maybe even shift the direction of their life. 

So, what should we look for? Here are five areas to begin: 

• Note someone’s area of strength and tell them. Everyone has strengths, including some of which we may not even be conscious. Hearing about them—and how they impact others—matters. Even when someone notices and calls attention to what we already consider our strengths, that makes us feel good, and we may be inspired to invest even more.  
• Look for someone’s contribution and mention it. Every day, people do things that make life and work better for others. The action may be something with a high profile, or it may be barely noticed. Regardless, our world works best when people are willing to act in ways that benefit others. Having these behaviors noticed can make practicing them feel more significant and often encourages even more contributions. 
• Listen for a good question and reinforce it. Schools are places where questions abound. Of course, not all questions lead to inquiry and insight and initiate action. When we hear a good question, regardless of the status of the source, we need to treasure it. We also do well to share our gratitude for the question, why we believe it to be important, and where it might lead. Our reinforcement can provide their reinforcement to build the courage to ask even more important questions.  
• Watch for a unique insight and capture it. Like good questions, insights are not always easily recognized. Our attention and support might be the stimulus needed for someone to continue to examine important challenges and uncover important knowledge.  
• Reflect on what we appreciate in others and share it. Even during trying times, there are people around us whose care, support, and general presence we appreciate. However, we may not take the time to tell these people what they mean to us and why. Hearing that they are valued and make a difference can easily make their day and more.  

We may be surprised to find that others are often not conscious of the power of their actions and the difference they make. Our willingness to observe and share the impact they have costs us little beyond our attention and a few minutes, if even that, of our time. However, our pointing out that difference lifts its significance and amplifies its impact. Best of all, we will have made the lives of others better while also enriching ours.