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Interactive Activities · Activity 17 of 18
How to Communicate Negative Feedback Properly (Ages 13–16)
A classroom session on the “feedback sandwich”. Using the example of a group member who did not contribute, students learn to give negative feedback constructively: understand why it happened, explain how it affected the group, and say what should change next time. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Key takeaways
- A classroom session with students aged 13–16 on giving negative feedback with the “feedback sandwich”.
- The example is a group project in which one member did not contribute.
- First try to understand why the person did not take part, by putting yourself in their place.
- Then explain how the behaviour affected the whole group, and say what should be done differently next time.
- Feedback given without judgment is honest and direct without hurting the person.
What is the aim of this session?
To teach students to deal with difficult situations in a positive way. Instead of ignoring a classmate or complaining about them to others, students learn to talk to the person directly and constructively.
How is the feedback structured?
The teacher uses the example of a working group of four to six students in which one person did nothing. Students are asked to put themselves in that person's place: first, understand why they did not participate; second, explain to them that this affected the whole group's work; third, say what they should do in future situations. The teacher's point is that someone who has been asked to reflect and has seen the consequences of their behaviour is unlikely to repeat it. The recording is in Portuguese with English subtitles.
Video transcript
Generated automatically from the video's audio or subtitles; it may contain small errors.
Today I come to present you another activity. I will distribute some situations that happen on a day-to-day basis, such as: you had group work, and a colleague in the group did strictly nothing. There are two ways of looking at this situation. Either I talk to that person and give a positive boost, or I just ignore them and complain about that person to the teacher, and say that person did strictly nothing in the group work. What I want to work on here with you is this sheet, which is called the feedback sandwich, with which we learn to deal with these difficult situations in a positive way.
Now, there is a working group. Imagine four to six people, and in this working group a person has done strictly nothing: did not participate in anything, didn't want to know about the times of group meetings, et cetera. And in the end they show up to present the work with you and put their name there. How do you think I can act in a positive way? Because the goal is to lead that person not to commit this mistake again. Even though they made a mistake with my group, and I did not like it, I can act in two different ways: be upset with that person and complain about them, or try to have a positive, constructive attitude, in order to lead that person not to repeat that attitude.
How can we do this? Always based on this idea of putting myself in that person's shoes. And by doing this exercise: first, realise why that person didn't do the job, what led them to not participate. Second, explain to that person that this attitude affected the whole group's work. Third, by showing that person that what they did was not right, I must also tell them what they should do in future situations. Why? This way, and without any judgment, I am being direct, and I'm not hurting that person. Quite the opposite: I am trying to get that person, through my effort to understand, not to repeat that mistake.
In a future situation, I assure you that that person, having been called to attention and having realised the consequence of their attitude, won't do the same with the group. They may eventually do it with another group, but under the same conditions, this student, being part of this group in a future task, will take another stance. This is positive reinforcement: put yourself in the place of the other and understand why. It could have been many things. They might have been just lazy. But something could also have happened at home, with a boyfriend, with a friend. We never know what's going on. We see a face, an outfit, an attitude, but these often hide what is going on inside. What I want is for you to realise that starting with something positive can only generate a positive answer. This is extremely important. I will distribute some sheets, and you will give your opinion on how to transform these situations in a positive way. Thank you very much.
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