Reasons Not To Give Feedback in December
But keep getting into classrooms
It can feel tone-deaf to offer feedback in December, because teachers are particularly unreceptive this time of year:
Activities are atypical
Schedules are atypical
Students may be stressed about the upcoming break
Teachers are stressed by all the activities and all they have to do in their personal lives—hosting family, traveling, shopping, cleaning, cooking, wrapping, and of course making it to the last December day of school
And let’s be honest: People WILL think about quitting over the winter break.
By day 13 of drinking coffee by the fire, who hasn’t thought “Hmm, what would happen if I didn’t go back?”
So December is not the ideal time of year to give feedback for growth.
It might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back—I think we all worry about this, and rightly so.
More broadly...
It’s never a good idea to give feedback just for the sake of giving feedback.
“I need something to write in this box” is not a good enough reason.
The reason you should give feedback should always be that you have something to share that the teacher needs to hear right now.
Just because you realized it today doesn’t mean the teacher needs to hear it today.
It’s often a good idea to give yourself time to think, and wait for the right opportunity. And that may mean January.
See, teachers don’t change their practice just because we tell them to.
If we’re trying to improve professional judgment, we can’t just share information and advice and/or give an order.
Sometimes feedback isn’t the right way to change practice.
Often people need forms of support other than feedback.
Maybe the support a struggling new teacher needs isn’t feedback from you, but a person—the assistance of a mentor.
Got a retired teacher named Karen (shoutout to all the great people named Karen!) who would be more helpful than any feedback you can provide?
Great—send Karen, and toss the feedback in the trash for now.
But you won’t know if you don’t go.
Getting into classrooms builds relationships and gives you information.
So keep getting into classrooms this month, even if you back off from feedback.
Think of this as Cycle 1 all month long.
Recommended Resources:
10 Evidence-Based Feedback Questions That Don’t Trigger Defensiveness
Now We’re Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership
