Feedback Strategies

        I have a hard time shifting my views and behavior when it comes to praise. I've lived with praise my whole life, and I like it. It feels good to be told that you're smart or good at something. In fact, when I was very young and first learning to speak, my aunt pointed to a picture of me and asked who it was. My response was, "that's a good girl." The article I read called The Difference Between Praise and Feedback suggests telling them they're good is one of the worst things you can do to your children. It's hard for me to decide to just stop doing this. I think I'll try to adopt Carol Dweck's approach of praising processes.

        I find that it's also important to praise specific things. Instead of saying someone is a good writer, I might praise them for their word choice or how they ended a story. This is kind of what the article Specific Feedback that Helps Learning is talking about. It's necessary to point out specific things you like, dislike, and expect from someone's work. When I give feedback, I try really hard to point out specific things, especially if I say I don't like something. You can't just say, "I hate this story/sentence." I explain why it feels wrong and often try to give an example of something better or a way to improve.


Image Information: Good Job, Source: Flickr