Giving high-quality feedback is powerful—but it can also be time-consuming. That’s where comment banks come in. By preparing reusable, constructive feedback statements, teachers save time while still providing personalized and actionable guidance to students.
What Are Comment Banks?
A comment bank is a curated collection of feedback statements that can be quickly adapted to student work. Instead of writing every comment from scratch, teachers can select, adjust, and apply comments that address common strengths and areas for improvement.
Why Use Comment Banks?
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Efficiency: Speeds up grading and feedback cycles.
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Consistency: Ensures students receive clear, fair, and aligned feedback.
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Focus: Keeps comments tied to learning objectives and success criteria.
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Personalization: Teachers can quickly adapt each statement to student needs.
Examples of Ready-to-Use Comment Banks
Writing & Literacy
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“Your thesis is clear; now add one piece of evidence to strengthen it.”
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“Great use of descriptive language—try varying sentence length for flow.”
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“Check punctuation in this section; commas will improve readability.”
Math & Problem-Solving
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“Your method is correct; show one more step to make your reasoning clearer.”
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“Recheck your units—this looks like a small calculation slip.”
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“Well done applying the formula—next, explain why it works.”
Science
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“Excellent experiment design; consider how you could reduce bias.”
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“Add more detail to your explanation of the results.”
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“Great use of scientific vocabulary—expand on [term] to show deeper understanding.”
General Learning Skills
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“Strong effort shown here—next, focus on accuracy.”
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“You’ve improved since last time; set one new micro-goal for next week.”
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“Try connecting this work to a real-world example.”
Tips for Building Your Own Comment Bank
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Start with your most common feedback points.
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Write comments that are positive, specific, and actionable.
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Organize by subject, skill, or assignment type.
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Update regularly with new examples and phrasing.
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Share across your teaching team for consistency.
Why Comment Banks Work
Students benefit from clear, constructive guidance, while teachers save valuable time. With a well-designed comment bank, feedback becomes a scalable and sustainable practice—without losing the personal touch.
Conclusion / Final Thoughts
Comment banks are not about replacing personal feedback—they are about making it more efficient and effective. By combining consistency with flexibility, teachers can provide meaningful, timely feedback to every student, without burning out. When used wisely, comment banks transform from a simple time-saving tool into a powerful driver of learning growth.