Part of being a good teacher is giving constructive criticism. Many teachers and tutors who like to be popular among the students are afraid of pointing out the faults and bad sides because they fear that they would lose that special bond that they have with their peers. However, without criticism, there could be no improvement, and as a teacher, this is the worst thing that you can do to your student. How can they know if they are doing something wrong if someone doesn’t tell them? How can they be better and learn if you don’t point out the things that they need to work on?
On the other hand, if you notice that your students are doing something wrong, you shouldn’t react too harshly. There is also another type of teacher who can be too strong on the words whenever students make a mistake, which is also wrong. Some students may become too shy and drop out of your class for this reason. Some can even lose complete interest in what you are teaching.
So, there must be a third way, right? Luckily there is. You should always provide your students with constructive criticism, and below you can learn the best tips to do so without hurting their feelings.
Start By Praising The Things That They Are Doing Great
If you want to make sure that your students are listening to you, you should begin with the things that they are doing great. Make a list of everything that you think are their strong sides, and in which they excelled so far. Students will feel proud that they are hearing these words from you and you will have their attention. Also, it can be a good balance, so that they don’t feel completely demotivated. They will always know that there are some aspects that they are doing great even though there are some things that need improving.
Think Ahead What You Are Going To Say
This is a good tip for teachers with students who have several things that they need to work on. To begin with, you must prioritize. Think about the things that need to be worked on first. After making a list of these things, start by pointing them out one by one in separate sessions.
Take Control of Your Feelings
Teachers are humans after all. Just like any other human being, we have our good and bad days. However, having a bad day doesn’t justify taking it all out on students who need to improve their performance.
If you aren’t feeling like yourself, you should find something that calms you down and practice it before every lesson so you would avoid any unpleasant situations where you might say something wrong.
Suggest That It Wasn’t A Mistake, But That It Can Be Done Differently
This is excellent advice for tutors or teachers who have very shy students in their group. So, instead of telling them that they did something wrong, you will use different vocabulary, and tell them that they did it differently from what you expected. Then, you tell them there is another way to do it and show them how. In this way, you won’t hurt their feelings but you will still get the message across.
