Facilitation Innovation

This week I dove into learning about the concept of feedforward. Feedforward is an approach that focuses on opportunities for growth in the future vs. feedback which focuses on what was wrong in the past (Goldsmith, 2003). One feedforward model that resonated with me was a feedforward approach adapted from Marshall Goldsmith called Feedforward-What Model (Harapnuik, 2020). This model focuses on two simple questions–What worked? and What can be better?

Learning about this new-to-me feedforward concept was serendipitous as my work this week took me to Wyoming to facilitate teacher coaching. A big part of my coaching role is to provide feedback to teachers after observing a lesson. I decided to immediately try out the Feedforward-What Model. Today I asked teachers the two What Model questions. It was such a different way of approaching the coaching conversation and I loved it! These questions helped shift the focus off me, the giver of feedback, and onto the reciever. It caused the teachers I coached today to think more deeply and self-assess.

When asked ‘What worked?’, teachers were able to identify the things that worked well, which often aligned with what I had observed in their classroom. When it was time to discuss what could be done better, teachers led the conversation with their own ideas. My role shifted to supportive as I answered questions and provided tips and resources to help them improve in the areas they themselves identified. This shift gives the teacher ownership over their learning in the coaching session and motivates them to action. Another benefit of the Feedforward-What Model is that it fosters a growth mindset for teachers. I am excited to continue this practice in my coaching!

References

Goldsmith, M. (2003). Try feedforward instead of feedback. Journal for Quality and Participation, 38–40.

Harapnuik, D. (2020, April 30). Feedforward vs. feedback. Harapnuik.org. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?s=feedforward