This, not That: Giving Feedback AFTER Writing

This article is part three of a series on student learning called “This, not That!” Here is the introduction article, the second article (Fostering a Growth, not a Fixed Mindset), and the third article (Giving Feedback DURING the Writing Process).

This week my students are putting the finishing touches on their literary analysis essays. Using the ideas from last month’s article, I have already given them feedback on their thesis statement and topic sentences. I have also conferenced with each one one-on-one, which means that next Monday night, I’ll need to start giving post-writing feedback to 70+ students.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I usually think of grading essays as a necessary evil of our education system. However, this process has become far more streamlined and takes less time as I learn more and more about the kind of feedback that actually helps students improve their writing. 

If you are a teacher who spends countless hours marking up student essays, providing an array of thoughtful comments, and are frustrated because students seem to make the same mistakes over and over, pay attention to the ideas below. The issue may not be how much feedback you are giving, but the way you’re giving it. 

In 2007, John Hattie and Helen Timperley collaborated to write an article entitled The Power of Feedback. Their goal was to use the body of educational research to help teachers understand what does and what does not work when giving students feedback. 

What Doesn’t Work for Improving Student Writing:

1. Overloading students with feedback. An overwhelming amount of feedback demotivates and obscures learning for students. They are not sure what to pay attention to most, so they often resort to ignoring it all. Later in the article, I will share a feedback framework that you can use to avoid this pitfall.

2. Providing vague or generic comments. Comments like “good job,” “needs improvement,” or “not quite” do not give students targeted feedback on what they are doing well or how they can improve.

3. Correcting without explaining. Teachers who mark errors or rewrite sentences are missing an opportunity to help students learn. The ultimate goal should be that students are able to identify errors in their writing, so they know how to avoid them in the future.

4. The feedback is not timely. Yes, it does take longer to grade essays, but if students are not receiving feedback until weeks after the submission, they will become disconnected from your comments and their impact. A general guideline that we use in my English department is that a teacher should correct 10 essays each day. With my 70ish students, that means students should be receiving feedback no more than one week after their submissions.

A Model of Feedback for Improving Student Writing:

Hattie and Timperley (2007) found that the most effective feedback consistently answers three questions that students need to know:

1. Where am I going? When providing feedback, be sure to consistently connect back to the intended goal(s) of the writing assessment. 

2. How am I going? Provide individualized feedback that addresses what went well and the most impactful way(s) they can improve their writing.

3. Where to next? Help students plan and develop goals/strategies for future writing assignments. 

SAMPLE FEEDBACK RESPONSE

The goal of this essay is to persuade your audience using a strong thesis, logical arguments, and evidence from credible sources (Where am I going?). Your thesis is clear and focused, and your first argument is supported by solid evidence. However, your second and third arguments feature hypothetical situations, which are not nearly as convincing as specific examples (How am I going?). In future writing assessments, focus on adding one or two concrete examples to create a more convincing argument. (Where to next?).

I give students no more than 2 of these feedback responses for each writing assessment. This, combined with the rubric score gives students targeted feedback on the most impactful ways they can improve their academic writing. 

But there’s one more important step to helping students connect with the feedback: reflection. (Student reflection has an effect size of .75).

After receiving their writing assessment feedback, I have students write a quick reflection on the feedback they received. They answer two questions in their writing journal:

1. Where did you see improvement in your writing from the previous writing assessment? (growth mindset)

2. What specific goals do you have for continued improvement on your next writing assessment? (goal-setting and motivation)

Understanding by Design author Grant Wiggins defined feedback as “information about how we are doing in our efforts to reach a goal.” It’s a simple yet profound reminder that feedback isn’t just about pointing out all of a student’s mistakes—it’s about guiding students on their journey toward improvement. When feedback is clear, specific, and actionable, it becomes a powerful tool for learning.

As educators, our goal is not to overwhelm students with corrections or simply tell them what’s wrong. It’s to engage them in a meaningful dialogue about their work, empower them to take ownership of their learning, and equip them with the tools to reach their full potential.

By rethinking how we give feedback on writing assessments—focusing on where students are going, how they are doing, and what they need to do next—we can transform feedback from a routine, mundane task into a catalyst for growth. Let’s make every comment count and ensure that the effort we invest in giving feedback inspires students to take their writing, and their learning, to the next level.

Now, who’s pumped to go and empower students with feedback?

Questions for Faculty Discussion:

1. What strategies do you currently use to give feedback on student writing, and how do they compare to the “Where am I going? How am I going? Where to next?” framework described in the article?

2. The article emphasizes the importance of timely feedback. What adjustments to your grading workflow could help ensure students receive feedback promptly?

3. How could incorporating student reflection on feedback enhance their ownership of learning and improve their writing skills?

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