Feedback Strategies

Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset
I like that this article mentioned focusing more on the reader while giving feedback. Instead of trying to please the reader, it may be more beneficial to simply focus on the things the reader did. In this class, we can substitute "reader" for "writer" since we will be giving feedback to the people that are writing stories. I also liked when the article said to focus on the process and the work the author put in, because that goes a long way in understanding what the writer was trying to say.

Presence, not Praise: How to Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Achievement 
This article was particularly interesting because it mentioned a study that tested which form of feedback improved students' abilities to solve problems. It was found that praising someone for their effort and hard work was more beneficial than praising them on their qualities (such as intelligence). I also agree with the article on the part where it said that if you praise someone for their qualities or tell them their creation is "the best," they won't ever try to improve. They will think they have created the best possible version of something, rather than trying to make it better. There is always room for improvement, so wherever we see fit, we should try to provide others with useful feedback :)

Some things I like to do when giving feedback is stating one thing I like, and that they should keep doing, and one thing that I believe they could change to make their story better. Sometimes I will ask a question if I am confused, but many times the suggestion can simply be a grammar mistake. 

Source: A quote from The Office; never apologize for trying to improve!

Feedback Thoughts

Using Harsh Feedback to Fuel Your Career
I really liked the personal story at the beginning of this article, because it is a perfect example of how to use negative feedback to help you succeed and prove everyone wrong! I believe that if someone tells you that you are unqualified for something, you should never give up perfecting that skill. A lot of times, feedback can inhibit moving forward and can prevent someone from trying to do something again. This can be extremely saddening, especially if that is something they have wanted to do for a while and the only reason they aren't anymore is because of harsh feedback. I like what the article said about confusing behavior with identity; many times, people don't mean to be rude while giving feedback, but some of us are built in a way that we feel attacked. It's really important to remember that the other person may not always be commenting on your personality or identity; they are simply offering advice on how to improve a behavior or skill. I also like how the article said to embrace emotions; I agree that it is important to recognize those emotions and let those subside before you work on improving the skill or behavior.

The Psychology of Comparison and How to Stop
I liked this article a lot because I tend to compare myself, my work, my grades, etc. to others'. It's a bad habit and I hate that I can't help it sometimes. However, the article said that instead of stopping at the comparison, we should go a step beyond and begin setting goals for ourselves to see how we can reach the level we want to. I also like the quote in the article that says "Don't compare your beginning with someone else's middle" because many times when we compare ourselves to others, we aren't looking at the whole picture. I agree when it says that everyone moves at different paces and it's okay to be ahead of some and behind from others. This is a great article to read, and I particularly liked it because it basically tells us that even though comparing ourselves to others is normal, we need to start focusing on ourselves and what we can do for ourselves. 

Source: I feel like this quote is very relatable, especially as we are writing blog posts and stories. We will be receiving a lot of suggestions that we can improve on throughout the semester!