There was a time when “immediate feedback” was the gold standard in education.
As educators, we were trained to believe that the faster our students knew whether they were right or wrong, the faster they would grow and learn. Our job was to correct the mistake. Close the gap. Achieve academic success.
And I still believe that...
at least in part.
But lately, I’ve been sitting with a different question.
After hearing Taylor Swift talk about how we now live in a world of constant, immediate feedback during her IHeartRadio speech, it made me pause. She advised young artists to be cautious of likes, comments, reactions, and opinions. She discussed how she learned as a young artist, in her room, without constant feedback. As I was considering this, I couldn't help but question my own practice.
Because feedback isn’t just happening in classrooms or workplaces.
It’s everywhere. ALL. The.Time.
And not all of it is helpful.
We’ve created a culture where nothing sits unanswered. Everything is a click from a response or a full-on action plan.
Every post gets a reaction.
Every effort gets evaluated.
Every moment is met with some form of response. Positive or negative.
And I’m starting to wonder…
Are we actually better because of it?
I think back to my years in the classroom.
We pushed for immediate feedback because we believed students needed it to learn from mistakes. And yes, I understand that concept. Feedback, many times, can guide, correct, and help better understanding.
But what if something else was happening in the absence of feedback?
What if, in the quiet, learners were building something we didn’t measure?
Persistence.
Problem-solving.
Internal dialogue.
Resilience.
What if the struggle...the not knowing, was doing some important work?
It's worthy of consideration.
REAL Life
I’m living in that space right now.
Professionally, I’m in a season of limbo. There’s no constant affirmation. No immediate correction. No clear signal telling me, “Do this next." No real feedback.
Just… space.
And if I’m honest, it’s uncomfortable.
But it’s also stretching me in ways I'm not sure constant feedback could.
I’m learning to trust my own thinking! (Wow! I can't believe I'm typing that. That should be the norm, right?)
But the truth is, I'm learning to sit with uncertainty. As much as I love AI and how it helps us with our everyday lives, I'm a huge advocate. But what I'm sitting with isn't something I can ask AI.
You have to try, fail, and adjust. And then, try again without someone (or some bot) immediately stepping in to guide me.
That kind of learning is slower.
It's messier.
But quite possibly…deeper.
So now I’m asking the question I never thought I would:
Do we really need immediate feedback as much as we think we do?
Or have we confused speed with growth?
I think of it like this...
Fast gives answers.
Formative changes minds.
When did we start calling those the same thing?
