AUTHENTIC FEEDBACK IS ESSENTIAL
“We can’t be afraid to have somebody tell us something that we did wrong. It’s not that they’re trying to put us down, if it’s done correctly of course. But it really is meant in that heartfelt, ‘Hey, we want you to become the best you can be.’ And when you’re presenting it, so when you are criticizing somebody — obviously you have to watch your verbiage, you have to be careful of the topic that you’re discussing — but ideally you have to give them that honest feedback that they need so that they can improve. And they have to be able to understand that it’s not a personal matter; that it’s not an attack on them, but rather you’re trying to provide them with some knowledge and some skills to become better.” We are talking about authentic professional development.
FRESH EYES ON TEACHING
Research has shown that feedback for teachers helps to improve their instruction. In the digital age, offering feedback to teachers has been made simple. Research has also found that collaboration via digital video improves instruction. Until now, peer observation has been unwieldy and difficult because of busy teaching schedules and logistics. One-shot, annual formal observations by administrators never tell the complete picture. Fresh Eyes on Teaching attempts to resolve the dilemma of observation-as-perfunctory afterthought by empowering teachers to more frequently seek out objective peer observations to improve classroom instruction, classroom management, student engagement.
FRESH EYES ON COACHING
Who coaches the coaches? Coaches give feedback to their players on a constant basis. But, who gives feedback to the coach? A the beginning of their careers, coaches may have learned methods and techniques when taking university classes or through coaching certification courses. Or, perhaps they have been thrown into the fire as a mother/father who takes the reigns of their child's youth team because no one else wanted the task. Win-loss records are not an accurate barometer of effective coaching, for the coach with the worst record in the league may have improved the team more than the coach who won the championship.
FRESH EYES ON OFFICIATING
“When I’m feeling uncomfortable I know there are certain mannerisms I have, when I’m feeling unsure, or when I’m also feeling confident. There are certain ways that I hold myself that demonstrate that. Just from doing tape work I can identify it, so I’ll go back and watch a tape and I’ll say, ‘Man, I was feeling uncomfortable with this,’ and now I can see what I’m doing with my hands, with my face, my movements. The point in doing that is so that in the future, there are going to be things that are uncomfortable for me…, but having that information about myself now I can adjust that, and I can fix that, and I can at least get to the point where my body doesn’t give my brain away.”