Criticism
Almost always I accept criticism in a positive manner only if I am made aware of my mistakes and I am told in a manner that is respectful. I do take criticism negatively if I hear about it in a round about way or if I know it has no basis. I accept it when I hear of ways to improve myself as long as it is sincere and not malicious.
Mary Jo,
Glad to hear you are looking to continuously improve yourself.
Philip Campbell
Criticism is a dying skill that really no longer is used properly by an instructor or excepted by the the student. There is always room to grow but if everyone continues to be okay with the outcome is or how it happens, standards seem to me to stay the same or go down. Constructive criticism most diffently has a place in my classroom.
mark,
I think as long as it is presented to help, people would be ok with it.
Philip Campbell
We have to be extremely careful when we use constructive criticism in class because each person can take it differently. Knowing a students EQ can help us in how we can give them feedback.
I agree fully Mark. If we as instructors hold the students to a low standard then they will achieve that. If we hold them to a higher standard they they will step up to expectations. Constructive critcism is one of the tools that I also use.
Thomas,
Standards is what sets the stage for success.
Philip Campbell
HUMA,
Very true. Getting to know the students does help.
Philip Campbell
I agree Mary Jo, I think it's all in the delivery. Over the many years of teaching culinary and pastry students how to improve their skills as a future chefs, I have noticed different results. I find the younger generations of students, 18-25 to be more receptive to positive criticism, always starting with things that can be improved upon and ending on the highlights of the work completed. You can always find something good. The older generation, (my age) seem to handle it differently. I notice they like to hear it like it is, no fluff. I feel confident about my skills as a mentor and try to handle each students needs on a personal basis.
Delivery is definately the key to conveying criticism. In my educational class, we seem to get more kickback from the younger generation (the 18-25 group)because we are teaching automotive systems. Ironically, it is the older students that are more receptive, probably due to technology developments. The young guns think they know it all already and the old dogs are lost. I ususally open a discussion with the student to understand his reasoning for the decision, and then guide them with criticism. Sometimes, they don't even realize that I have told them that they were doing it wrong. They just see a whole new perspective, and now they want to learn more.
As a culinary Instructor criticism happens daily in my class room. The important thing is to make the students understand that the criticism is about the food and not an "attack" of them or who they are as people.
Why is criticism given a bad name?
Can you imagine a time in your life that you did not get any type of a critique?
When we were growing up as young adolesencs, many of us were criticized for one thing or another, but many of us grew up to be well rounded adults
Did that critisism help or harm us?.
We are now so sensetive to give or get any type of criticism that we are emotionally unprepared to give our valued advice and or corrective thoughts on a subject matters that we are knowledgeble on.
I understand that there are some who go over board and do it excessively without concern to the recipents, but the majority of times you have to undrestand the content of the critique and discern how to apply it for yourself.
Sometimes criticism is not as we see it, but it is given as an opinion from those who has the authority to give it.
Why do we have to be so politically correct in the most simpliest of things. Critique is good!
We all need to critique ourselves and also value someone else sharing their observation and intrest in our behalfbe it in a critique.
I value it when my bosses gives me an honest critique . I may not like it ,but they are looking at me, and not through my rosy glasses.
Mike,
Criticism happens every day. The delivery is ho it differs from person to person.
Philip Campbell
I agree, Peter. I teach dental hygiene and we commonly have to critique work, but mostly the soft skills of the students. We call it feedback, so as not to hurt feelings, though. I sometimes preempt the "push back" by reminding them that they are essentially learning a new language, if they knew it all they would be teaching the course rather than taking it, or the I still learn stuff every day. Especially the younger students love to argue and really need to work on their listening skills. These are very important skills in dental hygiene.
I ask for their 'feedback' as well. We have to be able to take it and improve our skills as well.
I am the same way as Mary Jo, I take criticism as a positive thing and as long as it does not get personal, I feel it's a good thing. However, you have to be very careful when giving out criticism. In culinary, your food is personal to you so when you give your criticism on your students dishes, you must be very careful with your words and make it a positive learning experience.
I think I am the most conscientious person I know. I work so hard to be successful in every aspect of my life. I think I am humble in seeing myself as no more important than anyone else but I lack humility when it comes to criticism. My biggest failing is the inability to accept even constructive criticism. It's important to get over this fault but how? I am aware of the negative emotions but how do I go about choosing a different one?
Mike As a culinary instructor also I think that the criticism given to students about there food dose seem like an attack personaly but we have to let them know that it is nothing personal.just a way for them to Learn.
I think Criticism helps a lot. I put myself on other shoes most of the time. It is not always good to criticize on a negative way someone, but it always good to criticize people for their growth.
patricia,
I believe that criticism sometimes gets a bad rap because of how it is perceived. As long as we as professional understand that we can give constructive criticism I think we should be ok.
Philip Campbell
