How can you get the most from your feedback?
Feedback comes in all shapes and sizes but how can we ensure that we get the most from it?
Feedback Approaches
Scenario 1
They say: ‘How do you think it went?
What you think: ‘You tell me?’ *Eye roll*
What you often say: ‘I think it went ok’
What you could say instead: ‘I’ve jotted down some strengths and areas I’d change for next time…’
* Why it works: You take ownership over your feedback (it is yours after all!), it saves time and you show self-awareness.
Scenario 2
What you think: ‘I do that’
What you often say: ‘I always do that’ or ‘I did that when you left’
What you could say instead: ‘I’ve often used that approach and you’re right it can work really well.’ or ‘I love that approach – I did actually use it later in the lesson and this was the impact…’
* Why it works: Telling the observer ‘I always do that’ can seem like you’re ignoring the feedback. Saying that you agree with the approach shows you understand.
Scenario 3
What you think: ‘You are wrong’
What you often say: ‘I don’t agree’ or (worse) ‘Ok’.
What you could say instead: ‘I have a different view here so can we come back to this point once I’ve had some time to think about it?’
Why is this a good strategy?
Being prepared to receive feedback means you can get the most out of it.
Tip
View your feedback as an opportunity for everything to be about YOU! Embrace the time to talk about yourself and your class.
Thanks Hanna, that’s really useful and would probably result in me being less irritated by someone disagreeing with what I was doing as I’d be prepared to put my views across more elequantly!
Hi Lynn,
Glad you found it useful! Feedback can be so useful for developing practice, but can also cause conflict or contention points. I’ve always found that if I try to be open to any suggestion, I can develop in some way… even if it is developing listening skills or self-reflection!