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When Students Ask: “Is This Good?”

Lately, I’ve decided to battle the following (and all-too-common) scenario:

A student finishes an assignment and brings it to me, asking: “Is this good?”

What a dangerous question. It reveals a fear to take chances, an inability to judge, and a desire to do just enough.

Time to retrain.

Possible solutions:

  • Raise expectations. Ask: “Is this great?”
  • Reframe the question. Ask: “I don’t know, what did you learn?”
  • Return the responsibility. Ask: “What are three things that are ‘good’ about this?”
  • Make them aware of their peers. Keep a very high-quality example up from a previous year labeled “This is good.”
  • The old standby: “I don’t know, is it?”

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More about Better Teaching
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  3. Expectations Influence Performance
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  5. All About Asking Better Questions
There are even more articles about Better Teaching →

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Please contact me with questions or comments at: ian@byrdseed.com

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