At Crowden, we emphasize collaboration not only through chamber music but also within our academic approach. A recent example of this came to life in a joint project between the 6th and 8th grade English classes, centered around the idea of receiving and giving feedback.
It all started when Ms. Bassoff shared that her 6th grade class found receiving feedback on their writing challenging. Meanwhile, Ms. Ballard’s 8th graders—who were currently working on peer reviewing and love receiving feedback—expressed that their favorite part of the writing process was revising. Both Ms. Ballard and Ms. Bassoff, authors of young adult books themselves, explained to their students the extensive editing process their books underwent before being published, including feedback from their agents and editors, so they knew the value of constructive feedback.
Seeing an opportunity to bring the two classes together, Ms. Bassoff and Ms. Ballard planned a collaborative learning experience, and the two humanities teachers decided to bring the 6th and 8th grade students together to discuss how to approach receiving critique. In a short period of time, the 8th graders each chose a topic, researched it, and created presentations and slideshows to lead discussions on different aspects of revision. They were each responsible for a station, and the 6th graders were divided into small groups, rotating through each one.
At each station, 8th graders shared strategies for receiving critique and gave practical examples of feedback and criticism, focusing on how to use feedback as a tool for revision rather than seeing it as an attack on their work.
The collaborative session was a valuable learning experience for both grades! This shared learning experience emphasized the importance of feedback in the writing process and reinforced our commitment to fostering a community of mutual support.
Ms. Ballard and Ms. Bassoff are excited to continue this collaboration and look forward to more opportunities for students to learn and grow together in the future!
