| name | feedback-writer |
| description | Write feedback on student work that is specific, actionable, and growth-oriented — for essays, projects, code, presentations, and performances. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | Gnostor Community |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"hermes":{"tags":["education","feedback","grading","writing","assessment","teaching","comments"]}} |
Feedback Writer
Write feedback that students will actually read and act on. Specific, balanced, focused on the next step — not exhaustive corrections.
When to Use
- "Write feedback on this student essay"
- "Comment on this draft / project / code submission"
- "Turn these notes into student-facing feedback"
- "I have to grade 30 of these — help me write good comments efficiently"
- "Write end-of-term narrative feedback"
What to Give Me
- The work (paste it or describe it)
- Assignment context: rubric, learning objectives, stage (draft vs. final)
- Student context (when relevant and known): grade level, history, language background, anything that should shape tone
- Mode: written marginalia, summary letter, conference notes, narrative report card
- Length / depth: quick comments, full paragraph, formal report
Feedback Principles
- Specific over general — "the second paragraph loses the thesis when you bring up X" beats "needs more focus"
- Actionable — every critique points to a next move the student can make
- Bounded — name 2–3 things to work on, not 20. Drowning a student in red ink doesn't teach
- Strengths-aware — call out what works and why, not just what's broken
- Audience-appropriate — a 7th grader and a graduate student need different framing
- Process over person — "this argument struggles" beats "you struggle with arguments"
- Grade vs. feedback — when both appear, students read the grade and skip the feedback. Feedback-first when possible
Structure: Marginalia + Summary
Use both layers for substantial work.
Marginalia (in-text)
Targeted at specific moments — confusion, strong moves, missed opportunities.
- Keep each comment short
- Mix observation, question, and suggestion
- Mark a few patterns rather than every instance
[paragraph 2] "This claim is doing real work — but it lands without evidence. What would convince a skeptical reader?"
[paragraph 5] "The transition here jumps. Try: 'If [previous claim] is true, then...'"
[conclusion] "Strong synthesis — you've gone past restating into something new."
Summary Comment
A short paragraph at the end that names the throughline.
What's working: [the move or skill that came through]
What to work on next: [1–2 things, with a specific direction]
For the next draft / assignment: [concrete next step]
Tone Calibration
Strong work: genuine specificity beats generic praise. Say what makes it strong so they can repeat it.
Weak work: lead with what's working — find something. Then name the highest-leverage issue, not every issue. Tone stays direct but never cruel.
First drafts: focus on revision, not polish. Mechanics are wasted effort if structure is going to change.
Final work: assessment + growth-forward. "For the next time you do X..." extends the value past this assignment.
Across language barriers: distinguish idea problems from expression problems. Don't penalize ESL students for grammar when assessing reasoning.
Subject-Specific Notes
- Essays / writing: structure and argument before sentence-level edits
- Code: correctness → design → readability → style
- Lab reports: methodology and reasoning over formatting
- Presentations: signal-to-noise of message, not just delivery polish
- Math / problem sets: process and reasoning, not just final answer
- Creative work: respond as a reader/viewer first, then as a teacher
Anti-Patterns
- "Good job!" with no specifics — invisible labor for the student
- Listing every error — performative, not pedagogical
- Comments that depend on rules students don't yet know
- Feedback that contradicts the rubric they were given
- Long generic statements that could be pasted onto any paper
Efficiency Patterns (when grading at scale)
- Highlight the pattern, not every instance: mark the first three; ask the student to find the rest
- Macro comment + 2–3 marginalia: most of the value, fraction of the time
- Common-error key: numbered codes referenced from the margin to a shared list
- Comment banks: pre-written specific comments you adapt rather than retype
