Emptying my Bag of Good Intentions

I used to call my teacher bag my “bag of good intentions.” It was full of all the marking I planned to do at home, but didn’t, because I have a life at home. So I carried it home, didn’t open it, and carried it back to school the next morning. Sometimes the same work travelled back and forth for days.

And when I did spend hours marking, I wasn’t always convinced it was worth it. I would write thoughtful comments, hand the work back, and watch students look at the grade before shoving it into a desk or backpack. If I believe assessment is part of teaching (ad I definitely do!), then it can’t happen alone on my couch at 9 p.m. Sticky Note Feedback is one way I moved assessment back into the classroom, where students could be part of it.

While students are working, I circulate with a pad of sticky notes, a clipboard, and my class list. I pull up a chair and ask:

What are you working on?

How is it going?

What would you like feedback on?

I give the student one clear next step, write it on a sticky note, and leave it with them. Then they can actually use the feedback while they are still working.

This really shifted the learning in my classroom. Students made real progress because they could immediately apply the feedback, see what changed, and keep going. They weren’t being told what they should have done better after the work was already finished. They were getting support at the point when it could still make a difference.

It also made feedback feel less like a judgment and more like part of the learning. Students started asking for feedback because they knew it would help them move forward. Over time, they became better at identifying what they needed and more independent in making revisions.

This makes differentiation much easier too. Everyone can be working toward the same outcome, but they don’t all need the same feedback. In the Grade 6 example I shared on Instagram, students read children's books (or as we like to call them, illustrated texts) and then wrote their own text for a grade 3 audience. They are revising their narrative writing for clarity, focus, and audience. One student may need to add transitions. Another may need to remove details that don’t connect to the main problem. Someone else may need to explain an idea so a younger reader will understand it. Same outcome. Different next steps.

As I move around the room, I check students off on my class list and make a quick note about what I see. Now I know where everyone is at while they are working. If a student doesn’t finish or hand something in, I still have evidence of what they did. I’ve also watched the writing develop, which helps prevent plagiarism.

When the finished work comes in, I’m not seeing it for the first time. I’m looking for growth. Did that initial 2 move to a 3? Did the student use the feedback? Can they now revise more independently?

This is one of the practical tools Erin and I share in Students in the Driver’s Seat. Voice and choice don’t have to mean a huge project or a separate plan for every student. Sometimes they look like pulling up a chair, listening, and giving a student the next step they actually need. You can see what this might look like in a Grade 6 classroom in our latest Instagram post(@mrs.vandertoorn). Save it for future you, and maybe leave your bag of good intentions at school.