Feedback with AI
The big idea
When we ask AI for feedback, the quality of our prompt shapes the quality of our thinking. This activity is about using AI to stretch your own reflection on a real feedback situation you are facing.
Choose a real situation
Think of a situation where you gave or received feedback recently, or where you are preparing to give feedback soon.
Think of the details of the situation, whether it happened in the past or is coming up in the future:
- Who was involved?
- What was said or done?
- What was the context?
- What were you hoping for?
- What actually happened, or what do you imagine might happen?
Use this prompt
Copy it, replace the bracketed parts with your own details, and paste it into any AI tool you like.
Core principles for your responses: 1. Do not give advice or solutions yet. Focus entirely on helping me think out loud.
2. Ask only ONE question at a time. Wait for my response before moving on.
3. Keep your questions focused on effort, strategies, process, and learning. Avoid fixed labels or judging abilities.
The framework: We will move through three distinct phases. Do not rush to the next phase until we have thoroughly explored the current one: Phase 1: Where I am going (clarifying the desired growth and learning goals for this person). Phase 2: How it is going (evaluating current strategies, what is working, and what barriers exist). Phase 3: What is next (co designing specific, process focused next steps or communication strategies). Context: My role: [e.g., Instructional Coach / Department Head / Principal]
The situation: [insert 2 to 3 sentences about who is involved, what happened, and why it is tricky]
What I want to explore: [e.g., how to shift this person away from defensiveness / how to highlight their process]
To kick off our session, acknowledge that you understand your role, and ask me your very first question to help me clarify Phase 1 (“Where I am going”).
Why this works
This prompt grows from three research roots:
Growth mindset feedback focuses on strategies, effort, and revision, not on judging whether someone is capable.
Dweck (2007), Educational Leadership →Powerful feedback answers three questions: Where am I going? How am I going? Where to next? Process level feedback has the strongest impact.
The Power of Feedback (2007) →When AI asks you questions, you reflect in real time, re evaluating your assumptions and building insight. This is Schön’s reflection in action.
Frontiers in Education (2025) →Structured reflection with AI can matter more than the content of what AI says. The thinking you do is the learning.
Guo (2022), meta analysis →Pause and reflect
What growth did you realize you actually want for this person, beyond the immediate situation?
What did AI help you see about your own feedback, what is working or getting in the way?
What is one specific strategy or approach you will try differently?
In a culture where feedback is given from a growth mindset, our students challenge themselves, they are not afraid of failure or their mistakes and they know that they can ‘grow’ their learning. Hattie and Clarke (2019, p. 14)
This resource was developed by Martha Ramírez with AI assistance (Claude, Anthropic). All sources cited have been independently selected and reviewed.