"It's Not Personal"- Healing a Poor Relationship & Learning to Embrace Criticism

When I was child and, truth be told, as a young adult, I felt that criticism was hard to receive, no matter the kind. For the most part, I put my heart and soul into my tasks, and any bit of feedback that was not positive felt like a personal attack. I have had to overcome this poor relationship with criticism over the past year, and particularly in the last few months. I believe I have grown the most in my academic career at Ontario Tech as a teacher candidate due to the amount of feedback and criticism I have received. As noted in our learning key, there are many different types of criticism, and I am pleased to note that the criticism I have received in the last few months has fallen under what the reading describes as facilitative criticism, or criticism that is meant to help someone improve through learning (Arden).

One point from the reading that stood out to me was the idea that we often confuse our ideas and work with our sense of self. I can certainly relate to this, as I used to take suggestions for improvement personally rather than recognizing the value behind them. However, through assignments, learning to lesson plan, and my practicum experience, I have learned that receiving feedback is an important part of becoming a better teacher. I may not always like receiving criticism, but I know that it is an essential part of growth, learning, and development. One of my favorite quotes from the readings was one by Elbert Hubbard: "To avoid criticism do nothing say nothing be nothing”. Essentially, if we never take chances, try new things, or put ourselves in situations where we might make mistakes, we will never give ourselves the opportunity to grow and become better. This is something I have to keep in mind as a new teacher: I am not going to get everything correct on the first try. Furthermore, I do not want my students to have to overcome a poor relationship with criticism as I have. Rather, I want my classroom to be one where they feel comfortable making mistakes, sharing their thoughts, and being willing to take risks. Instead of focusing solely on what a student has done incorrectly, I want to provide constructive feedback that helps them understand how they can improve. I have to model this behavior myself by showing students that learning is an ongoing process and that even teachers make mistakes. Ultimately, I hope to create a classroom where criticism is viewed as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than something to fear.

Stefanie Giordano