Six Steps of Effective Feedback Cheat Sheet

(Probe Rev.)
Prepare

During
observation

Praise
1-2 min

Prepare
Script observations notes including time stamps, counting, and
actual words/behaviors, or
Videotape while you observe: mark the time stamps in your six
steps planning template
As you improve, plan your feedback while observing by filling out
the six steps planning template
Re-watch video or review notes to tighten probing questions and
practice
Have teachers upcoming lesson plans available

Narrate the positive & help them connect to past or future

action steps.
What to say:
We set a goal last week of ____ and I noticed how you [met goal]
by [state concrete positive actions teacher took].
What made that successful? What was the impact of [that
positive action]?
Start with a targeted question and add scaffolding as
needed.
Scaffolding:
Level 1 (Teacher Drives)Teacher self-identifies the problem:

Yes. What, then, would be the best action step to address that
problem?

Level 2 (Leaders Hands on Wheel)Ask scaffolded questions:

Probe
2-6 min

How did your lesson try to meet this goal/objective?

Level 3 (Put on Brakes & Hands on Wheel)Present classroom

data:

Do you remember what happened in class when ___? [Teacher then

IDs what happened] What did that do to the class/learning?
Show a video of the moment in class that is the issue. What
happened in this moment?
Level 4 (Leader Drives; Teacher Responds)Intervene or Model:

Modeled by leader: What did you notice about how I did it?
Intervention in class: When I intervened, what did I do?
Show video of effective teaching: What do you notice? How is this
different than what you did in class?

Bite-sized action step that is highest lever.

1

Action
Step
1 min

Plan
1-2 min

Practice
As much
time as
possible

Name the action step explicitly:

Choose an action step that is linked to the teachers PD goals: In
keeping with our goal of ____, the next thing we want to do
is/what is the next thing you want to do?
State clearly and concisely the bite-size action step that is
highest lever.
Have teacher restate the action step and write it down.
Design/revise upcoming lesson plans to implement the
action.
Script the changes into upcoming lesson plans:
Where would be a good place to implement this in your
upcoming lessons?
What are all the actions you need to take/want o see in the
students?
Script the language and actions to be taken have lesson plans
and/or a template ready for the teacher to fill in.
Plan before you practice: keep probing to make the plan more
precise and more detailed.
Now that youve made your initial plan, what will you do if [state
student behavior/response that will be challenging]?
If teacher needs extra development: Model for the teacher first,
then debrief. What do you notice about how I did that?
Role play how to implement the action step in current or
future lessons.
Round 1 Lets practice
When applicable, stand up/move around classroom to simulate
the feeling of class.
Pause the role play at the point of error to give immediate
feedback.
Repeat until the practice is successful. CFU: What made this
successful?
Round 2 add complexity
Once successful in Round 1: Lets try that again. This time I will
be [student X who is more challenging, other layers to add rigor].

Followup
1-3 min

Set actions and timeline for follow-up.

When would be the best time to observe your implementation of
this? Or: When I review you plans, Ill look for this modification.
Newer teacher: Ill come in tomorrow and look for this technique.
Set dates for all of the following and both teacher and coach
write them down:
o Completed materials
o Coach observation
o When valuable, teacher observes master teacher with a
2

clear look-for
o When valuable, self-video