“Constructive criticism can be embarrassing. Painful. Humiliating. But should one choose to learn from it, it can be invaluable.”
I have to admit that I dislike constructive criticism immensely because it makes me feel like I should have done better. I’m a perfectionist and when I do work, I try to review it over and over to make sure that it’s perfect. Then when someone finds a problem, I feel disappointed in myself which may come across as being angry with the person who is criticizing it. Even though I’m glad to know that there is something I can do to make it better, I still hate not being perfect.
I know that many of my students feel this way. They have been criticized for so much of their life because of their special needs that many don’t even want to try anymore. I know it is an uphill battle but I want to encourage them not to give up.
I think it is good to give personal examples of when I have gotten criticism and how I’ve had to deal with it. I also share about how it makes me feel and how I sometimes react which may not always be appropriate. When my students see that I’m not perfect as a teacher and that I feel the same way that they do, it helps them cope with their feelings better.
Then we talk about ways to deal with the criticism. How to share with others how we are actually feeling and then how to react appropriately. Then fix the problem. That is the ultimate goal. Maybe we don’t see it as a problem and don’t want to change it. Just because someone criticises you, doesn’t mean that you agree with it.
When I’m giving constructive criticism, I try to avoid the word “criticism” because it makes me feel like I’m being negative. I like to tell others that I’d like to make some suggestions. They can agree or disagree with them. For some reason, this comes across a lot better than criticism even though it is basically the same thing.
How do you give constructive criticism? Please share.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
No comments:
Post a Comment