Summary for Educators

Citation: Rae. Feedback That Takes 30 Seconds (And Actually Works), Teachers Deserve It, January 19, 2026. Retrieved from: https://open.substack.com/pub/raehughart/p/feedback-that-takes-30-s...

In her January 2026 article, Rae challenges a foundational assumption in contemporary classroom practice: that extensive written feedback is the most effective way to support student learning. Drawing on teacher experience, research on feedback efficacy, and practical classroom strategies, she argues that traditional written comments often fail to have an instructional impact—while simultaneously draining teachers' time and morale.

The article opens with a candid observation many educators recognize: teachers invest hours writing detailed, thoughtful comments on student work, only to watch students glance at a grade and ignore the feedback. This disconnect isn’t due to teachers' lack of care; rather, it reflects training and professional norms that equate “more written comments” with “better teaching.” Rae labels this a “lie”—not to shame teachers, but to reveal how the system pushes educators toward burnout without improving student learning.

Research from education assessment expert Dylan Wiliam anchors her critique: written feedback often yields zero learning impact, not because feedback itself is ineffective, but because students neither read nor understand how to apply it. In other words, teachers are producing feedback for which students lack a use-case. This insight reframes feedback as a design problem, not a motivation one.

A Shift in Mindset: Feedback ≠ Writing

Rae proposes a mindset shift: feedback does not have to be written. Instead, it should be viewed as information students can use to improve, delivered via any format that supports that purpose. She identifies three underutilized modes:

1. Color systems that communicate performance levels instantly.

2. Symbols and codes that convey targeted, consistent information.

3. Verbal or audio feedback, including voice memos, videos, or brief in-class conferences.

Teachers report that these modes increase student engagement because they reduce cognitive load—students process colors, symbols, and tone more easily than long written comments.

The Feedback Toolkit

The second half of the article provides a practical classroom toolkit aligned with this new mindset.

1. Color Systems (K–12)
A three-color visual heuristic simplifies feedback:

• Green = Strength/keep doing this

• Yellow = Almost/needs small tweak

• Red = Stop/needs revision before moving on

This system works across disciplines and grade levels—from handwriting practice in kindergarten to thesis writing in AP English—and reduces teacher writing to a fraction of its former volume.

2. Sentence Stems (When Writing is Necessary)
Rae recommends concise, structured stems such as:

• “This works because…”

• “Next time, try…”

• “Before you move on, fix…”

These stems encourage targeted, actionable feedback rather than narrative commentary.

3. Verbal Options
Teachers can deliver feedback through:

• 30-second voice memos

• Quick video clips demonstrating corrections

• Desk-side conferences

• Whole-class pattern lessons

Students reportedly listen more regularly to voice memos than they read paragraphs of comments, because tone conveys meaning and care.

4. Symbol Codes (Secondary-Friendly)
Margin symbols such as T, E, A, C, ?, ✓ correspond to writing components (e.g., Thesis, Evidence, Analysis). This trains students in disciplinary language and provides consistency across assignments.

5. Elementary Variant: “Stars + Wish”
Younger students use:
⭐ = Strength ⭐ = Another strength
🌙 = One wish for next time

This structure reinforces a growth mindset with developmentally appropriate visuals.

Not All Work Needs Feedback

Finally, Rae cautions educators to be strategic. Warm-ups, minor practice tasks, and routine journals often need only a check mark, not feedback. Teachers should save meaningful feedback for assignments that will be revised, revisited, or used for instruction.

The article concludes with a clear message: reducing written feedback is not a lowering of standards—it is a realignment toward high-impact practices that protect teacher time while improving student learning.

Original Article

Citation: Rae. Feedback That Takes 30 Seconds (And Actually Works), Teachers Deserve It, January 19, 2026.

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com