Teaching with Clarity

by Tony Frontier (ASCD, 2021)

Clearing the Clutter

Teaching with Clarity rests on the premise that student understanding is the goal of teaching, and that intentional instructional design can improve it. The author argues that educational programs accumulate "clutter" over time: an excess of tasks with a deficit of prioritization, strategy, and focus. Writing for K-12 decision-makers, he advocates streamlining practices across the system so students are relieved of conflicting expectations, procedures, and standards.

Two Sides of Feedback

The chapter on Meaningful Feedback is especially relevant in the community college math classroom. The author discusses two halves of the feedback process: how the teacher gives it and how the student receives it. Ideally, feedback is put to strategic use in a subsequent learning activity. But before students can think and act, there is an emotional hurdle, since receiving feedback can be alienating. Teaching students to use feedback productively is therefore a major goal the author describes.

On the teacher's side, four categories are described. Feedback about compliance and character (praise) is discouraged, while feedback about the learner's process and specific results is encouraged. Feedback can also be judgmental (assessing completed work) or developmental (constructive advice to act on).

Feedback Before Grades

One specific routine is to return work with developmental feedback, offer a short window when corrections will be accepted, then finally grade the improved work. This routine addresses both halves of the process at once: the teacher gives feedback the student can act on, and the student has a reason and a chance to act on it before the grade is set. It is a small change that puts the book's idea of clarity into practice.

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