The Red Pen. Empowering or Paralyzing?

How did you feel as a child when you got back your work and it was covered with red pen? Excited or fearful? Empowered or disappointed? 

I find most people felt negative about the red pen. 

WHY then do we use it? Let's explore the motive behind the red pen. 

For some it may be a power trip to get to mark up a paper; sort of a passing along of the pain they felt with the red pen. But this is a whole other problem. 

The motive behind the red pen, is usually that of wanting to give feedback that can be helpful to the child. Then let's explore feedback and how our RED PEN BEHAVIORS might impede that goal. 

First - Research has a bit to say about feedback. 

1. If any of the feedback on the page represents a SCORE, that is all the learner sees. Regardless of the quality of the rest of the comments, the only one that is remembered (and usually read) is the SCORE. 

IMPLICATIONS - If you want your learner to read, internalize, and use the feedback, then DON'T put a score on it. If you want to put a score, DON'T waste your time with comments, they won't be read. 

2. Learners only read and internalize the feedback IF they will have to USE it. If there is NO follow up task like a revision, summarization of changes etc. then the feedback seems, to the learner, as unnecessary and they DON'T read it. 

IMPLICATIONS - Only spend time writing feedback on your learner's work if you intend for them to USE it. 

3. The feedback must be specific to the piece of work. General feedback like "Unclear thesis," or "Fix grammar," is too general for a learner to use. The more specific the better, like "In paragraph #2 you have 2 great ideas, recycle plastics and use biomass to make mulch. Consider giving each of these a separate paragraph. Then you could elaborate on what you mean by each." See how this is specific to the piece and gives the learner a specific way they could improve their work. 

IMPLICATIONS - Specific feedback gives the learner somewhere to go or at least a specific problem they need to fix versus something so general that it isn't HELPFUL. 

This research can really help our RED PEN BEHAVIORS. 

Second - Purpose of feedback. Why are we spending time writing feedback on our child's work?  

This one takes research #2 deeper. Feedback needs a purpose or it gets ignored. So, what are going to have your child do with this feedback? If it's a math paper, do they need to go back and re-solve certain problems? If it's grammar, do they need to go back and summarize what grammar mistakes they keep making? If it's a piece of writing are they going to revise it based on your feedback? 

The KEY is to have them USE it. 

Finally - Respect the learner and his/her work while giving feedback. This shows up in two ways. 

1. Don't write directly on their work; this shows respect for the piece itself. Consider using post-its. You can write the feedback on the post-it and then draw an arrow to where it applies.  Or you could write the feedback on a separate sheet of paper or in the computer. This leaves the piece of work in-tact. 

2. Don't be demanding with your feedback language about their work. Instead suggest, have them consider, ask them to think about.... possible ways to improve their work.  While this may seem too polite and give them an out, it also gives them the freedom to change their work as they would like. 

The task that uses this feedback can explain the expectation, "Use the feedback to reorganize your piece and rewrite it." This doesn't give them the choice of whether to revise. 

3. Use your learner's favorite color pen to write the feedback. If they like glittery pens use a purple glittery pen. This may seem small, but psychologically it can be more happy to read stuff in my favorite color. :) 

RED PEN BEHAVIOR can have a huge impact on how we communicate with our children about their work and how they interpret our feedback. 

I have 3 Action Steps for you. 

1. Consider what RED PEN BEHAVIORS you may have that are paralyzing. 

2. Choose a RED PEN BEHAVIOR that you would like to change. The above lays out may options. Share this intended changed with your child and the reason behind the change. 

3. Come share in my FREE FB Group, Ninja Homeschoolers, your intended change and the results as they unfold. I would love to hear how this impacts your feedback relationship with your child. 

YOU CAN DO IT!! 

Jill