Brad Cartwright

Years ago, I raged one time when reading the Supervisor Comment written by a former colleague of mine.  

I rarely get mad.  Especially at school.  

But I was lit up.

Here’s why:  The teacher completely blasted his Advisee in his Supervisor Comment.  

Wait, what?  Yes, he did.   He ripped the kid.

First of all, he talked about the paper and not the process, which is categorically wrong, but what was he doing?  

Why would you undercut a kid with the IB Examiner after they have completed a gargantuan task of writing a 4,000-word essay?  

I get all upset just thinking about it.  He wasn’t happy when we directed him to rewrite it.

As I always say in my teacher trainings, the main thing is the main thing.  

And the main thing is to serve kids—always.  At every turn.  

Therefore, this week let’s look at an easy 8-Step Process to write a really effective, supporting, and honest Supervisor Comment for the Extended Essay.

Just remember, that these comments are not about the quality of the essay itself.

They’re about the path the student took to get there in two regards: their management of the research focus and their management of the research process.  That’s important to know from the get go. 

So, here’s how to write comments that are clear, supportive, and focused on what matters.

 

Step 1: Understand the Purpose

Supervisor comments are all about the student’s process. 

They’re not a review of the essay or an opportunity to share personal opinions. 

That is really important:  Not about the essay.  Not about our personal opinions.

Instead, they validate what the student wrote in their reflections and give the examiner a full picture of how the student approached their work.

Examiners consider three key elements:

1. The essay itself.
2. The student’s reflections (initial, interim, and final).
3. Our comments on how the student managed the process.

Our role is to connect our comments to the student’s reflections, highlighting their efforts, challenges, and growth.

 

Step 2: Keep the Focus on the Process

Our comments should focus entirely on the student’s journey, not the essay’s strengths or weaknesses.   

Avoid commenting on the quality of the paper.

Instead highlight how the student approached their research, refined their question, and tackled challenges along the way.

For example:

• Avoid: “The essay lacks strong analysis.”
• Focus on: “The student showed persistence in refining their research question and worked hard to improve their time management during the research process”

If the student struggled at any point, make sure to frame those challenges as part of their growth. For instance, you could say, “The student initially faced time management difficulties but made significant improvements as they progressed.”

 

Step 3: Be Honest and Encouraging

It’s important to be truthful in our comments, but also constructive. 

Our role is to support the student, not to critique them harshly or diminish their accomplishments. 

Even if the process wasn’t perfect, focus on what they achieved and how they grew.

 

Step 4: Align Your Comments with the Student’s Reflections

Before you write your comments, review the student’s reflections. 

This is critical. Write your supervisor comments after the student completes their final reflection, because these reflections capture the student’s perspective on their process, and our comments should reinforce and expand on what the student has written.

For instance, if the student reflected on revising their research question, you could write, “The student demonstrated adaptability and critical thinking by revisiting and refining their research question to ensure it aligned with their essay’s scope.”

You pick the words, of course, but our words should align with theirs.  It’s important!

 

Step 5: Use IB Resources for Guidance

The IB provides guidance and examples for writing supervisor comments. 

These resources can help you structure our comments and ensure they focus on the student’s process rather than the final product. 

Take a look at this guidance from the IB on writing effective supervisor comments.  

The first and forth example are the best.  And it’s pretty cool because they tell you why each comment is useful (or not).

 

Step 6: Avoid Personal Bias or Defensiveness

It’s crucial to keep our comments student-centered. 

Avoid letting personal frustrations or a desire to defend our role influence what you write. If a student struggled with certain aspects, that’s a reflection of their journey, not our effectiveness as a supervisor. 

Focus on their progress and effort rather than their missteps.

Our comments are about supporting the student.  Helping the student.  Mirroring what the student wrote about themselves in their three reflections.

Nothing could be more of a disservice to the student than to criticize either the student or his or her paper.  

As an Extended Essay Coordinator, this used to anger me so much.   

Think, support the kid, support the kid, support the kid.   Nothing else.

 

Step 7: Recognize the Student’s Accomplishment

Writing a 4,000-word essay is a significant achievement for any high school student. Our comments should acknowledge this accomplishment and highlight how the student managed the complexity of the task.

Celebrate their hard work, growth, and resilience!  This process is long and hard.

For most kids, what they accomplished they never could have never imagined doing before setting out on the process.

 

Step 8: Write After the Final Reflection

This one is kind of obvious, but wait until the student has completed their final reflection to write your comments. 

This gives you a full view of their journey and ensures our comments are thorough and reflective of their entire process.

 

The Big Take Away

Writing supervisor comments for the Extended Essay is an important responsibility that focuses on the student’s engagement and process. 

By aligning our comments with the student’s reflections, highlighting their growth, and maintaining a supportive tone, we can provide examiners with a clear and accurate picture of the student’s path through the entire process.

We can make a difference here.

Keep the focus on the process, not the paper.  Don’t even mention it.

And of course, celebrate, celebrate, celebrate, the effort and resilience it took for the kid to complete this challenging massive piece of academic work.

The main thing is the main thing.

I hope you have a relaxing break this year!

I'm headed on a campervan road trip through the Balkans, so we'll see you in the next newsletter on January 10th.

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