Guiding Principles of Effective Feedback
We've found that successful MCP Mentors employ the following guiding principles:
Be prompt: Timely feedback is critical for learning. Please provide feedback within two business days on Submissions 1-4 and one week for the Culminating Submission. If you're delayed, be proactive and let your mentees and the MCP team know.
Be specific: While we encourage you to use the Common Feedback & Praise document, please make sure to personalize this feedback and attend to specific elements of each submission. Note what has been done well and name why it matters. As you suggest areas for improvement, give specific examples of shifts the mentee could make to grow in those respects.
Be positive: Highlight specific strengths, and provide mentees with equal amounts of constructive feedback. Offering three strengths and three areas for growth is a great practice in being specific. When giving constructive feedback, continue to be positive and encouraging. Remember, feedback is about quality instead of quantity!
Be collaborative: Frame your feedback as suggestions or questions. When working with adult learners, frame your feedback as a choice. Avoid the phrase “you should.” Open the conversation with your feedback, inviting mentees to comment on the feedback journal or schedule a call to discuss the feedback further.
Leverage your experience: Teachers love our Mentorship Program because they get to work with other excellent educators. Share anecdotes, tips/tricks, resources from your own classroom, and resources from our bank.
There’s always room for improvement: No submission is ever perfect! Even when working with a very strong mentee, push them to grow, even if that means simply providing a resource for their continued learning.
🎥 Consider video feedback and a further coaching call: Sharing feedback through a recorded video or live in a coaching call is a great option to help crystallize your suggestions and offer context. You could share your screen and record a screencast of the submission, and discuss glows and grows. Check out this example!