I have found myself in many situations in life thinking of the best way to deliver my feedback in a way which will get the most effective result and in the most positive way. I think that the way you provide your feedback to your students as well as to your kids is crucial for their cooperation and attitude towards learning in the future.
What l had learnt is to use the magic of the sandwich feedback!
This way of giving feedback empowers the receiver in a way that makes him/her listen to what you say. If you have started with the critique opinion you have about him, he would immediately shut down and wouldn't listen to a word you say.
So what is the sandwich feedback?
First – you have to start with some positive comments about their work or the way they faced the problems. Don't be shy! Give praise for their strong points. It must be a real thing you truly believe and they are good at.
Second - you may say what they need to improve. Here you can specify what their mistakes: where, what effort is needed and how they can improve their effort.
Third - close with a reminder for their strong points, support them and say you believe they can do it in the best way.
You should be honest and keep the order of: positive comment, criticism and positive comment, exactly like a sandwich.
I want to say that I use this feedback technique in all relationships I have, even with my friends and partner. So far, it has given me good results. More than that I must say that when I use it, it makes me think better of what I want to say and to find out exactly what bothers me. My approach changes and most of time I get a good cooperation from the other person.
I really recommend you to use it!
Thanks for this. I usually (try to) use this technique when giving feedback but it's not without critics. One article/blog post I've read recently criticized it for being too 'Western' and Anglo-centric. In some cultures, the sugarcoating that occurs at the beginning (the first layer) may seem insincere when all you really want to do is focus on the negative aspects. Some people - not in Western cultures - might prefer to hear the criticism straightaway, followed of course by some praise or mention of positive points.
ReplyDeleteWhat do others think?