Embracing Feedback: The Catalyst for Personal and Professional Evolution
"Assessment is not about measuring; it is about understanding learning and using that understanding to support improvement." - Dylan Wiliam
In the world of education, assessment guru Dylan Wiliam argues that the most powerful learning occurs when feedback becomes a continuous, integrated process of understanding and growth. When done well, feedback is a reciprocal process where learners are active participants in understanding their own progress. William suggests that feedback is often received best not by those who try to be inherently perfect, but by those who strive first to embody curiosity and humility.
This weekend we welcome a team of peer reviewers from Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) who will engage our school community in meaningful dialogue to help us reflect on our practice. Like good teachers in classrooms, they will work alongside us, prompting reflection and providing us with feedback designed to help us grow in our practice. Like the best of learners, we are approaching this visit with curiosity, humility and an openness to learn.
It’s important for students, particularly high-achieving students who sometimes believe that feedback means they are not “perfect”, to see their teachers and other adults in their lives engage in reflection and learning. When we model what it looks like to enter into critical friend conversations with openness and humility, we demonstrate that accepting feedback does not mean we are lesser than. Rather, we model our understanding that improvement is part of the journey – a gift rather than a punishment – and that feedback fuels our progress.
As we embark on an exciting journey of growth through our membership in CAIS, we thank our families for engaging in this new learning alongside us. We are partners on this journey and the work we undertake together highlights the commitment we all feel towards our students and this remarkable place of learning.
Learn more about CAIS Accreditation.
