10 Tips for Delivering Effective Feedback
Michelle Qubrosi
28th December 2024
Take your feedback skills to the next level with our top 10 tips
Delivering feedback in a way that is well received by your students is one of the greatest skills you can master as a pole teacher. It’s the art of passing on essential information with a sprinkle of encouragement and gentle correction, all in a way that feels like a warm hug. Easy right? Well, these top 10 tips will have you mastering your feedback game in no time!
1. Use Positive Language
Our choice of words is so important when delivering feedback. It may sound like common sense but a person is much more likely to receive information well when it is framed in a positive rather than a negative way. For example, instead of saying, “you aren’t pushing off the floor with enough force”, you could say “try pushing off the floor a bit harder”. Now, instead of focusing on what they are not doing, we re-framed our feedback to focus on what they can do. This little trick will stop your students from feeling criticised and defensive and will help them feel motivated to make the necessary changes.
2. Timing is key
Getting the timing right is a game-changer when it comes to feedback. The quicker you offer guidance after a student performs a move, the better they can link it to the action. While you’re observing your students’ performance, try to share feedback in the moment, catching mistakes as they happen. Striking a balance is key though; we don’t want to inundate students with information every time they perform a move. Give them the breathing room they need to absorb and process the feedback. Let them practice and refine their moves before adding on another layer of corrections. The integration of new patterns into the mind and body is a gradual process, so stay patient on your teaching journey.
3. Acknowledge Effort
Dancers and ex-gymnasts aside, most people that walk through your door are not going to be naturally gifted pole dancers. It’s a really tough and demanding sport – so recognizing and appreciating the effort your students are putting into their practice can help encourage and motivate them.
Moreover, fostering a growth mindset, which prioritises effort and progress over innate abilities, can create a positive learning atmosphere. Students with a growth mindset believe in the power of hard work and learning, which keeps them motivated even if they are not nailing a move straight away. In contrast, those with a fixed mindset may avoid difficult moves, fearing they lack the innate talent to succeed. So, psychologically speaking, you can see how encouraging a growth mindset in your classes can be the key to keeping your students committed to their pole practice long term.
To apply this principle when delivering feedback, try not to focus on the aesthetics of the movement, or how it “should look”, instead focus on the effort your students are putting in, the progress that they are making and their potential for improvement. For example, let’s compare a growth versus fixed mindset approach when delivering feedback for an Ayesha:
Fixed mindset “Your lines look great in the Ayesha”
Growth mindset “Great effort your Ayesha is really progressing”
4. Use a multi-sensory approach
All of our senses are constantly gathering information to help us process the environment around us and we are more likely to retain information if it is supported by more than one of our senses. While the sense of smell and taste don’t have much use in a pole class (we hope), we are far more likely to understand what we are being told if we can also see, hear and feel it. Therefore, to maximize the impact of your feedback, you can try to incorporate some visual and/or tactile cues alongside your auditory corrections. For example, “great job with your climb guys, if you feel that you are sliding down the pole try to energetically squeeze your legs together to hold you in place” – as you explain, physically demonstrate the motion of squeezing your knees together, or for a more hands-on approach, walk around the class and gently assist students by squeezing their knees around the pole as they are practicing.
5. Wrap it up in a delicious sandwich
The whole point of feedback is to bring your students awareness to what they are doing wrong. So how can we do this in a way that will elicit a change but still be encouraging to our students? Well, that’s where this useful trick called the ‘Sandwich method’ comes in. Naturally people will receive criticism better when it is sandwiched between two positive points. This is because it helps to disarm the ego, making the person more open and receptive to the information.
So, to apply this to your feedback, try to start with what was good, followed by what could be improved and then end on a nice positive note.
What was good
“Well done, Sarah – that spin had so much power!”
What needs improvement
“Let’s try again and, this time, try to keep your bottom arm straight and push the pole away”
Overall positive summary
“Keep up that same energy level though, you are doing great!”
6. Be inclusive
A pole class can be quite a vulnerable space, especially for new students – the last thing we want is to make a person feel singled out. The easiest way to avoid this is to give feedback to the class as a whole. Even if you see one or two people making a mistake, it is still likely that others in the class would benefit from your feedback. For example, “Great job with your Step Around guys, let’s try it one more time. This time try to reach your body away from the pole, think toes to the mirror. Keep up the good effort!” If there is a student that is just really not getting it, then choose a time when the rest of the class is busy practicing to approach the student one-on-one. Get close to the student so that you are addressing them directly, and deliver your feedback tactfully (for example using the sandwich method). Always try to balance your attention equally between students to ensure everyone gets some TLC and no one feels left out or picked on. When used correctly, individual feedback is a great teaching tool – who doesn’t love to get a bit of personal attention from their instructor!
7. Set goals
Giving your students a goal is a great way to keep them pushing their limits and progressing every class. Goals can come from your student or from you, but either way try to ensure they are specific, achievable, measurable and time-bound to be most effective. For example “amazing Climbing today everyone, next class we are going to Climb all the way to the top of the pole and touch the ceiling!” Setting goals is a great way to keep your students excited and motivated to come back for their next class.
8. Be specific and intentional
We are using feedback as an instructional tool – using our words to promote a change in our students performance. Therefore, it is so important that what we are saying is clear and specific to what we want them to do. Wishy-washy feedback can just cause more confusion and actually hold back your student’s learning. For example “Place your hand on the pole” is not as clear and as “Place your inside hand onto the pole at head height in a Thumb-Up Baseball Grip”. At the same time, we want to avoid overcomplicating a sentence with big words or technical lingo. Choosing words that are clear, concise and easy to understand is key to effective feedback.
9. Find your Teaching Voice
Have you ever had that argument with a partner of friend where they say “it’s not what you said, it’s how you said it” well what they would be referring to is the tone, pitch, volume of your voice – and even your body language. All of these features contribute to your communication style and convey just as much information as the actual words that you are saying. Being a teacher is all about harnessing these factors in order to best express the message you are trying to get across. When you deliver feedback to your students, try to keep your tone encouraging and warm, adjust your volume depending on if you are addressing the entire class or a student one-on-one, and always make sure that your body language supports what you are saying (“great job I am so happy for you” with your arms crossed and a grimace on your face, is not going to make your students believe you). Of course, there is a time and a place for a louder volume, harsher tone of voice and more assertive body language, especially when you are trying to get control of a potentially dangerous situation. But the point is, you know how to alter your communication style to suit a variety of situations. At Pole Movement, this is what we call your ‘teaching voice’ – a version of yourself that comes alive when you step into your power as a teacher and leader. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but just as with everything it can be learned and developed, you just need awareness, practice and a little guidance!
10. Encourage mindful movements
Conscious proprioception is our ability to know where and how our body is oriented within our surroundings. It is a skill that requires presence of mind when performing pole movements. Occasionally you may want to reframe your feedback as a way to draw students attention inwards. Rather than you giving them the answer, help them get to it themselves. For example, when they perform a movement you can ask them, “how did that feel? Did you feel more secure? Did you spin faster? Did that feel easier?” Questions like this will cue students to feel into the movement, empowering them to evaluate their own performance and make improvements themselves.
Bonus Tip: Celebrate the wins!
Feedback does not always need to be instructional, sometimes it can just be a way to really celebrate your students accomplishments. Let’s be honest, part of why pole is so addictive is because of how good it feels when we nail a move we have been chipping away at for so long. Try to hold that feeling close to your heart as you teach your classes so that you can wholeheartedly celebrate when your students reach their goals, no matter how small. Celebrate with your whole body; clap, cheer, high-five, wave your hands – let your body language mirror your genuine words of praise. By celebrating with enthusiasm and sincerity, you create a positive and uplifting environment that motivates and encourages continued effort and growth.
Take your teaching to new heights
In conclusion, when used correctly, feedback can be the key to creating a class environment filled with joy and learning. So embrace the opportunity to connect, build rapport, and inspire your students with your words of wisdom. If you are new to teaching, remember that just like mastering a new spin or trick, giving feedback is a skill that you can develop with mindfulness and practice. Soon enough, it will feel as natural as breathing: You’ve got this!
If you want more support or guidance on finding your teaching voice, click here to join our 200 hour online teacher training program where you can learn all of the skills you need to become a confident and knowledgeable pole instructor!
– Michelle Qubrosi
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