The ladder of feedback

1. Clarity. Ask clarifying questions to be sure you understand the ideas or matters on the table. Avoid clarifying questions that are thinly disguised criticism or suggestions: “Have you thought of …”

2. Value. Comment on the strengths of the work. Express what you like about the ideas or matters at hand in specific terms. Do not offer perfunctory “Good, but…” and hurry on to the negatives.

3. Question. Share your questions and concerns. Avoid absolutes: “What is wrong is …” Use qualified terms: “I wonder if … “ “It seems to me …” Focus on ideas, products, or particular aspects of the work and not on the person. The purpose of this step is to understand the decisions the student made to get to this point and the thinking behind each one. Use questions like “How did you come up with this idea?”, “What other choices were available to you when you made this decision?”, “Describe what you were thinking when you decided to include this…”

4. Suggest. Make suggestions for improving the work. This step is sometimes blended with step 3: people state concerns and then offer suggestions for addressing them.

The purpose of this step is to understand the decisions the student made to get to this point and the thinking behind each one. Use questions like “How did you come up with this idea?”, “What other choices were available to you when you made this decision?”, “Describe what you were thinking when you decided to include this…” (Ritchhart & Press, 2015, p.309).