"In the Land of Honalee" ~ Utilizing Constructive Criticism

Great Bob!  I love how you are encouraging these young children to experience criticism.  It really makes a difference when children (as you already know) learn to accept comments from others that may not always be what they want to hear and then move forward.

Grems:

We have worked on "constructive criticism all year.  In the beginning we would just share our personal "piece" at circle and the children were encouraged to say something nice about the piece..."I like how you made the bear" or "I noticed you included lots of detail in your picture".  Of course all this has to be modeled in the beginning.  Once we had that down, I introduced how they could "critique"...."I noticed you have a rainbow.  But remember in science we learned how the colors go....you have blue but you need red first, then orange......".

One of the reasons I appreciate how you handle this is as you said, not everything we do is perfect.  We all make mistakes, if we learn to accept criticism at a young age, we will also learn to be polite critics.  Some of the children I work with are never told they made a mistake because they are just wonderful.  Other children never get a chance to make a mistake because someone takes over for them before they have the chance.  The last group is criticized for all they do.  You are doing a tremendous job.

they are doing great

Thanks Dnbuster for stopping by.

oh great wise one, this is so simple yet so profound and often overlooked. if we had all learned the benefits of giving and receiving constructive crit as kids, maybe some of us  wouldn't be so damned touchy about what others say (me) or snotty when dishing it (not me).

I know, Mona.  I didn't learn about "constructive criticism" till I was working on my Masters thesis in history.....when the Prof offered suggestions how I might "improve" or "how I overlooked some important research", I was crushed.  But I did learn so much from the experience that I thought it was a valuable lesson to pass on.

A wonderful essay, and I fully agree with Susan's definition of "constructive criticism". ;-)

Hugs and blessings - S.

Yes, Svetlana, I really enjoyed Susan's article this morning.  I think she'll make a great Gather Editor.

A lot of Gather could take a lesson from what you teach!

How in the world are you ever going to retire?  I can't see you being away from these little guys for very long!

It's time, Ina.  I've been doing this for 41 years....it's time I did some other things that I enjoy before blowing in the wind.  Just think of the mountains I can climb, the images I can take and the countries I can visit. 

Why do I feel like bursting into song?

You have your choice, Ina....Puff the Magic Dragon or Blowin' in the Wind.  Actually, you and Kevin should fly in for the Concert...with your expertise "singing, playing the kazoo and doing all those other musical "things" you and Kev do so well, you would fit right in.

I've always been fond of "Puff".  ;o)

But of course you are...puff rhymes with fluff and of course tuff and then of course "stuff"....no wonder you like Puff the Magic Dragon.

I've always been all about the stuff!

Cute photo essay.  Great job encouraging your little one's growth and artistic view.

Thanks Denise for stopping by and leaving a nice comment.

You're welcome, Elizabeth.  Thank you for all the nice comments you leave for me and your active involvement in my group Photo Art Monthly Competitions I'm a big fan of your photo art!

Thank you Denise, I bow to you.

This is a great article, Bob. And I'm with Ina - I'm having a hard time imagining you retired!

Just think Roy...once I'm retired I will be able to come to Newport more often and hang out with you......there's the Jewish cemetery...the Irish one too...and of course a walk along the RR tracks.

Which reminds me; I have yet to explore the northern end of that line.

Northern end of the line explorations sound good...we could be another Lewis and Clark.

Thanks for posting this to Rainbow Connections - Colorful Competitions!

You are such a wise and wonderful teacher... and not only of children. Thanks for the wonderful illustration of feedback in motion. And what wonderful rainbows!

Once again, Sherrie, we are singing "Rainbow Planet" for the concert.

I love that you are providing the kids with experience both in giving and receiving constructive criticism. It is a skill sorely lacking in many of my college & university students.... clearly something that they have not had enough practice with.

I agree, Flit.  If we could provide "experiences" throughoout "early childhood and elementary education, they would be used to constructive criticism.

Another wonderful essay with great photos.  A tricky subject; one that most of us struggle with all our lives.  One needs a certain amount of diplomacy to give constructive criticism and grace to receive.

One does need diplomacy....but really, the kids do really well with "accepting ideas" of others, Linda.

What a wonderful idea, they younger they are when the experience circumstances that come up in life the better they are at understanding and coping.  This excercise is teaching them how to accept and give constructive criticism, the key word, constructive. 

That's the key word, Nana, "constructive".

This is such an important concept---for the youngsters, certainly, but for us older folks, too. No one is ever too young or too old to learn these principles of living life! Thank you, Elizabeth. We are featuring your article this week at Home Comfort

Natalie, thanks for the feature in  Home Comfort.

we need more like you in our schools

Susan, I bow to you.

You give us a lesson and then tied it into student utilization task concept about illustrative feelings. Expanding minds in your classroom: Bravo!!! 

Thanks William for stopping by.  It's 5 o'clock and I need to head back to school for a few hours of "cleaning, packing, etc".  Just came home for a bite to eat and close my eyes for a few minutes.

I salute you. We could all benefit from learning how to give and accept constructive criticism gracefully. How wonderful that they are learning that at such a young age.

We most certainly could, Marge.  Thank you for stopping by.  I know you have some new chapters in Hexagon so I will be stopping by.

The teaching profession will be impoverished by your retirement in a few weeks time, Bob.  The class concert, "In the Land of Honalee" should prove to be a fun way for you to bow out, my friend.

Should be a tear jerker, Mag, and yes, it will be a fine ending to a great year as well as my teaching career.  I wonder if a Fat Lady will sing....Dad always said it wasn't over till FL finished her song.

Bob, even now the fat lady is singing ... just clearing her throat for a full blooded rendition of ... Puff the Magic Dragon, no less.

I felt quite the same way about Susan´s superb intro article to her group, Bob. It´s great that you are teaching these skills of honing the work through successive drafts at such an early age. I am thinking about ways to apply these insights when I teach again in a few months (assuming I get a job right away in California, but I´m an optimist!)

I agree with Magi. I think everyone on Gather will be saddened when it fully sinks in we won´t be seeing any more of these classic photojournalistic articles chronicling your teaching style, which I personally have benefitted so much from. (Getting to see how a master teacher works is a rare treat, this is the kind of ´observation´ that should be admitted when renewing a clear credential, LOL.

I think, John, that Bob should make an archive - with hyperlinks - of all her photo-essays to do with teaching ... it would be a mavelous resource for teachers, aspiring teachers and parents.

I feel like I'm on skype with you two chaps.  John, I have no doubt that you will be an excellent mentor when you go back to teaching this fall in California.  And should you have a classroom, I should feel priveleged to be able to come out to California and be a "volunteer" in your room.

And Mag, once I am retired, perhaps I will take Marinela up on her kind offer to create my own personal "blog" space with hyperlinks to my photo/essays on Gather.

I'm sure that Bob will continue teaching in her own way.  I have no doubt of it.

This wonderful article is now featured at "Celebration of Collaboration and Inspiration"

Thanks so much for posting to this group.  Working together is what this group is all about.  TEAM  Together each acheives more.

I was smiling Jan when I read your comment first thing this morning when I awoke.  Yes, I'll probably continue teaching to the birds that grace my feeders, the hummingbird that visits my irises, the raccoon that makes midnight visits to my porch to eat kitty food.

As for the collaboration, I loved watching and listening to the children express their ideas to one another and how they worked out what each person was doing.  Thanks for the feature.

Congratulations! You won 1st Place in this month's Photo Essay Competition at Rainbow Connections - Colorful Competitions - Thanks for sharing this wonderful story with us!

Wow, I just found this....thanks Sherrie.  1st Place...I am overwhelmed. 

In Maine at the "Flying Jib", a rusticated cottage on the shores of Eggmoggin Reach.  Yahoo.....a computer in a little closet room....a quick trip to the Blue Hill grocery store to buy batteries for the keyboard and mouse and I'm in business. 

Thanks again.

It's wonderful to see kids working together on such a fabulous project!  Team work is an amazing thing.  It's also good to hear that you're allowing them to experience constructive criticism.  Sometimes in this "feel good" world of ours, I'm afraid we're setting them up for a fall.  My hat's off to your, Elizabeth, and to the children for their amazing win!  =)

Thanks for stopping by...you are ever so right about "this feel good world" we have instituted where "everything is praised" because we don't want to hurt egos. How do children or adults learn to hone their craft if they can't accept constructive criticism?

Criticism is simply difficult all around. I agree that praise becomes cheap when it's doled out w/o restraint or consideration.  How do you give the feedback and how do they take it?

And yet another lovely post. Congrats again!

What a neat idea. Invaluable experience for the kids. Congratulations!

Wow!  This looks like one of my daughter's kindergarten projects.  (She's the teacher.)  Congratulations on your win with Rainbow Connections!

congratulations on your win!

Back to say Congratulations on your Rainbow Connections win!

Just stopping by to say congratulations on your Rainbow Connections win!

They are doing a great job, and it looks like they are enjoying doing it too.

Congrats

I'll be back to read this one - meanwhile - Here to say CONGRATS on your RC win!

Nice photos!  Congrats on your win!