Peer Feedback in the Classroom: Empowering Students to Be the Experts

No one book will solve all the classroom "problems." This book does not lead to the one answer that will explain away all the woes teachers face when assessing student work. It does, however, guide you to new ways of how to create classroom culture informed on feedback and peer review. These two things are what I've been seeking to redesign my classroom culture as I am fed up with being the sole proprietor for student improvement. This mindset creates students into lazy writers and thinkers because all they're waiting on is my judgment of their work. That is not how the adult world works! The working world is based on peer feedback, criticism, and problem-solving for issues we are not even aware of yet. This book aids in rethinking your classroom culture and provides practical advice and steps on how to enact peer review and move the teacher from the position of omnipotent (which is not possible anyway) to a mentor. Think of it this way: have you learned more from a teacher standing in front of the classroom lecturing or from someone who mentored you into problem-solving and critical thinking? That is what the author of this book is challenging her readers to consider, which is why I recommend this book.

Starr Sackstein in a real leader in the field. All schools should have her books in their professional development libraries.

It is said the one doing the talking is the one doing the learning.So why should the teacher be the only one providing all the feedback in the classroom? Starr Sackstein's new book Peer Feedback in the Classroom helps teachers teach students to become experts at providing peer-to-peer feedback.Starr is the author of Hacking Assessment and teaches journalism and English in New York. She has developed a system where students review one another’s writing, challenging one another to write more effectively. She is adamant about student agency and her practical descriptions show how she facilitates this agency in her classroom.Although she writes from the perspective of a journalism teacher, her strategies can be easily implemented in other subject areas. As an English teacher and high school golf coach, I see how I can apply her work to both my classroom and my team. Her suggestions are not just applicable to writing, but to any content area where the teacher wants to empower students to take control of their learning and support one another's growth. Teachers can easily adapt peer feedback to their own setting.The backbone of Starr’s system lies in the creation of experts roles. Each student is enabled to be an expert on a specific aspect such as textual support, transitions, or coherence. Any aspect of student work can be turned into an expert role. Starr describes how to arrange the class, establish roles, prepare students to take on those roles, and handle any challenges that may arise. After reading her book, I am excited to see how empowering experts will transform my class, allowing learners to support themselves and one another.The book is laden with testimonies from Starr’s students sharing their experiences with peer feedback. These voices attest to the importance of peer feedback in producing quality work. Student Barbara Kasomenakis describes the impact of student experts on her writing:I have been brought out of my comfort zone multiple times and forced to take on roles unfamiliar to me... However, this challenge is what caused my writing to evolve. I have noticed that I now take on many aspects of a text and qualify my arguments instead of being cemented in one mode of thought.After reading this book, I feel I can help my students become interdependent writers who can draw on the insight of their peers and encourage one another’s growth.Peer Feedback in the Classroom can help students take more responsibility for their work, allowing the teacher to facilitate student-centered learning that is relational and empowering. This is a book I will keep on my desk and refer to throughout the year.