July 17, 2007
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Somehow, in a round-about-way last night, I got to thinking about criticism. I’ve gotten pretty tough-skinned since I get a lot of criticism from others about my teaching ideas or my political leanings or my outfit or my latest hair color, etc. (Really, in comparison to others I know, I must be a target for criticism somehow; maybe people know I can handle it and won’t want to strangle them?)
From there, the conversation in my head jumped to, “Is teaching the only profession where one receives anonymous criticism multiple times a year?” and “Does that criticism make us tougher as a person or lead to the high rate in suicide?” Now, I feel I am a pretty positive person, so I’d like to tackle the first question… and then maybe the first part of the second.
Unlike high school teaching (where I received criticism, but it was face-to-face & wasn’t conducted with all teachers), college instructors receive anonymous criticism every semester (and even after summer school courses too). So, if one teaches during the summer (like me), that’s three times a year one’s ego takes a punch in the gut. Usually. Because, like my boss has said, if you are a good teacher, a really good one, your feedback will have highs and lows. The lows come from students who are pissed that you made them do too much, or who thought the class was dumb, etc. The highs come from students who excelled, enjoyed the class, etc. Now, if one has all highs on their feedback, then the class probably wasn’t tough enough (or the instructor got lucky and had students who all wanted to learn & be pushed). If one receives all low scores, then there are more problems – bad rapport with students? class was too hard? no one felt they learned? Obviously, one wants more good than bad… So, with that said, if one is a good teacher, three times a year, they’ll have to deal with the “low” feedback. Which can be damaging (and don’t give me the “don’t take it personally” speech – easier said than done) and yet insightful and funny too.
Is there another profession like this? Usually, if criticism is given, it’s given face-to-face so there’s someone who has to deliver the “blows” if there are any. With college instructors, the feedback is anonymous, and, therefore, much much more honest.
In response to the first part of the second questions, I’d have to say that, yes, we do become tougher. It’s made me stand up for things/ideas that I maybe wouldn’t have in the past, and when something is brought up that I hadn’t thought of before, I research it. I look up what I do not know for later discussions… I’m not going to claim to know everything with students or peers or teachers, and there’s respect that one should give to those in the profession who are one’s elders. However, there’s a line between those who have kept up with their research and should be listened to (and ideas stolen from *cough* Kevin *cough*) and those who have not.
[Sidenote: Knowing what I know now, I would've been a better high school teacher. I didn't have the knowledge of pedagogies that I do now, or the theories behind composition & rhetoric, or the strategies...]
