Feedback versus Criticism
As a schoolgirl, I received feedback from my teachers on classwork and homework. It was either an appreciation of the work or that there was room for improvement. I took the feedback very seriously, as my parents did, and acted upon it accordingly. “Keep it up” meant I was to continue producing work of the same quality or even better, and "could do better’ and “room for improvement” meant I had to still get my act together. I appreciate the dedication of my teachers, who so painstakingly read and corrected my work and gave me feedback on it. (I have preserved an answer paper marked by a favourite teacher and proudly display the picture.) Well, the concept of judgement or criticism never occurred to me. Whatever they said was Gospel truth. The feedback continued in college and even when I was training to be a teacher during our practical lessons. All remarks, whether it was school, college, or the B.Ed., were made with that dreaded red ink pen. Today, feedback has t...