1.

Introducing the learning content

For this part of the feedback, students assessed how I present, explain, and organise the content. This includes
activating prior knowledge, making objectives clear, asking questions, checking for understanding... In this area
I received positive feedback with an average of 4.4/5.

At the beginning of each lesson, I display the learning objectives and the programme on the board and use
accessible language, so that students know what to expect and can prepare for the lesson (Geerts, van Kralingen,
2018). This is an area where I need to improve, but I also try to show the relevance of the learning activities/tasks
by linking them to the learning objectives, to encourage student engagement.

I consistently activate my students' knowledge, making connections between what they know or have
experienced and the content of the lesson. This can be done through targeted questions, mind mapping, think-
pair-share, quizzes... It sets the stage for learning and facilitates the integration of new information into existing
knowledge structures (Geerts, van Kralingen, 2018).

When I give explanations or instructions to the whole class, I try to be very clear that everyone must listen.
Sometimes I have to wait a minute or two for students to be quiet, or stop speaking to wait for silence, or overlap,
but I try to be consistent in asking for everyone's attention when I address the class. I follow Ur's (2012) tips when
giving task instructions: everyone must listen, I use repetition (written, verbal, student recap...), I try not to be too
long, I use examples and/or modelling and I check for understanding. I also try to be clear about when students
must work in silence, speak in a low voice or can speak at a normal level by communicating my expectations and
sometimes using visual signals. It is not always successful, but I try to be consistent.

As for checking for understanding, I have already developed this in an example of subject knowledge. I do not
just ask "Did you understand?", but I might ask one or more students to explain in their own words, to translate
into Dutch if I have given the instruction in French, to give an example...About checking for understanding, I
already developed it in an example of subject expertise. I do not just ask “did you understand?”, but instead I may
ask a student or students to explain with their own words, to translate in Dutch if I gave the instruction in French,
give an example…

In retrospect, all the above elements, as well as the way I organise the content, benefit from the fact that I plan
my chapters and lessons carefully, following a systematic design cycle and constructive alignment. I take into
account my students' different backgrounds and prior knowledge, I think about how to give effective
instruction/explanation (what to leave out? In which language?...), whether the materials and activities support
the students in achieving the objectives, etc. It is not perfect and not always successful, but the fact that I am
able to plan, that I know my students and that I can reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of a lesson allows
me to continuously develop my methodological skills. For future development, I want to adopt a more student-
centred approach.
 2. Guiding and evaluating learning process
For this section, students assessed the way I monitor their tasks, support them in carrying them, and discuss the
learning outcomes. I received an average score of 4.2/5.

I provide support and monitor students' progress throughout the lesson, which is essential for them to
successfully complete the learning activities and ultimately achieve the learning objectives (Ur, 2012).
Depending on the task and the form of the work, this may involve allowing time for reflection, giving hints, walking
around the classroom to observe and help where needed, and giving feedback... I think that I make it clear to my
students that I am available to support them as they work. However, I still need to find a better balance between
providing the right amount of support and helping 'too much' and making students too teacher dependent.

Another action that helps me to monitor and evaluate my students (and informs my feedback) is to provide
opportunities for formative (self-) assessment and self-reflection. This allows them to assess their understanding
of the material and evaluate their learning process, which is essential for developing effective learning strategies,
applying them in a different context, and deciding what and how to do differently if necessary (Parrish 2022). I
use different forms of (self-)formative assessment, for example: clear success criteria, exit tickets, rubrics,
quizzes, hand signals...

Active monitoring of students' learning throughout the lesson allows me to adapt my approach, make the
necessary adjustments and gather information to inform my feedback. Feedback is a powerful tool for student
achievement, motivation, efficacy, and engagement (Mandouit & Hattie, 2023). In theory, I know the
characteristics of effective feedback. It should be timely, clear, and specific, address the learner's progress
towards the goal and focus on the task. The aim is to help students identify the gap between their current
performance and their desired performance, and to provide strategies for closing that gap (Hattie & Timperley,
2007). In practice, I still find it challenging to give effective feedback, but I am actively working on improving this
through learning, observing colleagues and reflecting on my practice.

As well as giving individual feedback during learning activities or in one-to-one discussions, I also do class wide
'feedback' at the end of an assignment and/or lesson. This might involve discussing the different answers/ideas,
their strategies, summarising, debriefing the task.

3. Evaluating the learning outcomes

For this last part of the feedback, students assessed my awareness of their learning progress, how this was
integrated into the lesson and whether the assessments were consistent with what and how the content was
taught in the lesson. I received an average mark of 4.4/5.

Regarding the first two points, I use the strategies mentioned in the previous section, such as continuous
monitoring, formative assessment, and feedback. According to some of the students' responses, I could engage
more with them during the monitoring phase, as someone wrote that I observe but do not ask how it is going.
Similarly, and as mentioned in the previous section, I need to work on my feedback skills.
Regarding the tests, it seems that the students find them aligned with the content of the lessons, that they have
enough time to prepare for them and that I discuss the results with them. When planning a chapter (and therefore
the assessment), I follow the principle of constructive alignment to ensure that the learning objectives and the
content of the lesson are aligned. I also communicate with students the learning outcomes, i.e. what they need
to demonstrate in the assessment, and make sure they know how to prepare for it.

For summative assessment I mostly use performance-based assessments because they have the advantage of
assessing "a student's ability to use real language while performing tasks that resemble actual real-world
situations" (Brandl, 2008, p. 422). I adapt the tests from the course book we use at my school to ensure that they
test not only knowledge but also the students' ability to apply that knowledge and that they are integrative in
nature. I try to find a balance between knowledge and application, with an emphasis on students'
communication skills and a clear grading system. I also use tools other than tests and try to make the
assessment as communicative and authentic as possible. For example, I use assessment tasks like vlogging,
sending an email, writing a postcard...

Finally, after correcting a test, I give students time to check their work, read the corrections and feedback I may
have written, ask questions, etc. I encourage them to reflect on their performance and what they need to do next
to achieve the learning objective. Having clear learning objectives and success criteria (and a grading system) is
very helpful in this process. I also discuss with the class mistakes that are often made, strategies they have
used...

In the future I would like to explore more alternative assessment tools and authentic assessments. I am also
interested in working with language portfolios and assessing learning objectives rather than marking tests.

References:
Brandl, K. (2020). Communicative language teaching in action: Putting Principles to Work. Cognella Academic
Publishing.

Geerts, W., & van Kralingen, R. (2018). The Teachers’ handbook: Secondary and Vocational Education. Coutinho.

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112.
https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487

Mandouit, L., & Hattie, J. (2023). Revisiting “The Power of Feedback” from the perspective of the learner. Learning
and Instruction, 84, 101718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101718

Parrish, N. (2022). The Independent Learner: Metacognitive Exercises to Help K-12 Students Focus, Self-
Regulate, and Persevere (Teacher’s Guide to Implementing Research-Based Teaching Strategies for Self-
Regulated Learning). Solution Tree.

Ur, P. (2012). A Course in English Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.