Dear parents,
We all have to come to terms with feedback, and it's not easy. Putting one's heart and soul into something only to hear cool reactions can have us reaching for digestible consolations, entertaining doubts or emailing resignations. Feedback is personal. In teacher professional learning seminars, the virtues of feedback are extolled and practitioners taught to not just accept feedback, but to relish it. (Isn't it those who appear to have less need, the ones who frequent Confession more often. It isn't that they have less need, they've simply given up the pretense that everything is fine and they have no need of change.)
Back at school, students who record 50% on an assessment are typically not the ones tapping on the staff room door wanting to know how they can improve. Whereas, the student who gets 99% practically stalks his or her teacher wanting to know how to get the 1% their teacher took away from them.
Our children are not angels; I mean that literally. Unlike the angels who are created with all their natural faculties at 100% luminosity, children grow towards their destiny through trial, error and feedback.
We should prepare our children for the inevitability, necessity and opportunity that feedback brings.…..with lots of relish, please.
Warm regards, Ian Smith Principal
Comments