Making Peer Feedback Work for Teacher Candidates

Peer feedback can help teacher candidates think more about their teaching. But there are some big problems we need to solve to make it work well. Here are the challenges and some ideas for fixing them.

Challenges of Peer Feedback

1. Building Trust:

   • Sometimes, teacher candidates are nervous about sharing their teaching with others. If they don't feel safe, they might not give or receive honest feedback. This can lead to comments that don’t really help them improve.
   • Solution: Create a friendly atmosphere at the start of the program. Team-building activities and ice-breakers can help everyone get comfortable and build trust.

2. Mixed-Quality Feedback:

   • The quality of feedback can be different from person to person. Some might give vague comments that aren’t very useful. This can make candidates feel frustrated and less motivated to reflect on their teaching.
   • Solution: Use clear feedback guidelines or rubrics. These tools can help candidates give better, more helpful feedback, making reflections more meaningful.

3. Difficulty Accepting Criticism:

   • Some candidates find it hard to take feedback from peers. They might see it as a personal attack instead of helpful advice. This can create an uncomfortable environment where they don’t want to reflect on their work.
   • Solution: Offer training sessions on why feedback is important. Workshops focused on having a growth mindset can help candidates see criticism as a chance to get better, making them more open to feedback.

4. Lack of Time:

   • Teaching practicums can be very busy, leaving little time for reflection and giving feedback. Candidates might focus more on their teaching tasks and miss chances to learn from their peers.
   • Solution: Schedule specific times for reflection and feedback in the program. Requiring reflection logs or feedback meetings can help ensure candidates spend time learning from each other.

5. Limited Reflection Skills:

   • Not all teacher candidates come into the program knowing how to reflect well. Without help, they might struggle to express their thoughts or engage with peer feedback.
   • Solution: Teach reflective skills early in the program. Showing candidates how to use journals or guided reflections can prepare them to give and receive feedback effectively.

Conclusion

Even though peer feedback has its challenges, we can overcome them. By building trust, using structured feedback guidelines, promoting a growth mindset, setting aside time for reflection, and teaching reflection skills, we can create a helpful environment for teacher candidates. When done right, peer feedback can greatly improve their learning and professional growth during their teaching experience.