After reading an article that compared coaching to teaching, it made me think about the feedback I received in the classroom in comparison to the athletic field. Although both methods of feedback were helpful to me they were also substantially different.

On the playing field my coach always gave me immediate feedback by either stopping a drill in practice for me to fix my mistake right away or screaming to me from the sideline during a game (if my teacher would have done that in front of my entire class I would have been SO embarrassed!) Because of the immediate feedback my coach gave me there are certain skills in the game of field hockey I will never forget how to execute—the slap-shot, reserve sweep and the penalty stroke.

The feedback I received in the classroom was very different to that on the athletic field. In the classroom my teacher would make comments or corrections to my test, homework or essay’s then return my graded paper to me days later. This type of private feedback was nice because it allowed me to reflect on my mistakes and gave me time to comprehend what I did not understand the first time by looking at my teacher’s comments and corrections. It may have not been as immediate in comparison to the feedback on the field, but it also gave me time to truly understand my mistakes and grasp the lesson (and lets face it, being in a classroom is very individualized, minus group projects, whereas being on a sports team is being part of a unit—every mistakes effects everyone around you.)

Personally I think both methods were beneficial to me. When thinking about these two very different feedback techniques, I think considering the different style for each individual student could be key to retention. Some students need that immediate, stern feedback like on the athletic field—whereas other students need a moment to comprehend and read through the correct answer.

What kind of feedback works best for students?

image via woodleywonderworks