Feedback Thoughts by Ryan McElyea

Criticism can be Harsh but Beneficial. Source: tiny buddha

 Overcoming the Fear of Feedback

I think this is something that I can really relate to. I remember early on in my college education I would always be scared when there were comments or something from the professor that pointed out the flaws or mistakes in my paper. It made me feel sad that I missed some of the stuff and made me really anxious. During my first internship after sophomore year, I realized that the people giving you feedback have more experience in the subject than you and they are trying to help you grow. So even though it may be scary to get this feedback especially if it is negative, but they only do it to better you in the future. It is more helpful to receive feedback than nothing at all.

Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset

I like this article because it is similar to the "put yourself in the other person's shoes" quote. It is important to give feedback that is not harsh even though it is negative. There is no need to talk down on someone when giving feedback. It is important to just address the topics or themes that they may have missed in their work and maybe give an example on how they can improve. It is important to leave tips that encourage a growing mindset as the title implies.

7 Key Characteristics of Better Learning Feedback

I like the characteristics that this article gives for leaving feedback. The 7 characteristics mentioned are: goal-referenced, transparent, actionable, user-friendly, timely, ongoing, and consistent. Goal-referenced is feedback that can help them achieve a goal or action. Transparent is just information on what topics may have been missed or misrepresented in the work. Actionable means that there must be a way to fix it, maybe offer suggestions.  User-friendly is give it in terms that they can understand and don't use jargon the receiver may not know. Timely is give the feedback where there is still time for them to revise it instead of waiting until the last minute. Ongoing means that the encouragement for growth does not stop after just one time. Consistent is not changing the way that you give feedback or say something one time and something completely different the next.

5 Tips For Taking Feedback Like a Champ

I really like the tips that this article includes in regards to receiving feedback. The first tip is "realize that feeling uncomfortable is healthy, normal, and part of the growth process." I completely agree with this because I know exactly what this uncomfortable moment  feels like, but once you realize that it is towards your growth, it is much better. "Having growth areas is a good thing" is another topic and I believe this is true as well. There is no way that you can be an expert in every subject so there is always room to grow. Overall, just realizing that feedback benefits your growth is something that can lead the uncomfortable experience into a rewarding one.