Feedback plays a very important role in the reflection process. It is essential to gain a good understanding of your own strengths and weakness in order to be able to improve and be constantly developing as a whole. Feedback from peers is vital when learning whether it be in school, the workplace or in any everyday situation.  It can come in many forms from something simple like 2 stars and a wish right through to judges’ feedback on a performance. Feedback is important to be able to constructively analyse another persons work or actions in order for them to improve and learn for next time. Everyone has the ability to provide others with useful information, the complex part is how you put it to them. You should be careful when giving feedback as they could potentially take it in a very negative way and this will have a lasting effect. Useful feedback should support the person and enable them to improve. It’s important to remember to be down to earth and not unrealistic in your expectations.

An advantage of feedback is that you gain another person’s perspective. Sometimes it can be difficult to see fault in your own work and by having someone else give their views, it can enable progression. Feedback can have very positive effects when used correctly. For example, it has the potential to highlight your good areas which could spark more confidence in your ability enabling more success. A disadvantage, however, is it can have negatives effects on a person mentally when used incorrectly. For example, if the feedback focused only on the negatives and offered no suggested method on how to improve this could adversely effect their progress.

Generally, feedback I have received has been positive and has given me more confidence in terms of my ability. Personally, I tend to not let negative feedback get to me and instead use it in a constructional way to help improve my ability in that particular area. However, giving feedback is something I tend to struggle with. I’d happily tell a peer what I think are the positives of their work but I don’t like to be the one to point out where it went wrong, especially if it’s a friend. I intend to gain more confidence in analysing work constructively, not just positives but negatives too throughout the years.

Feedback is something I will go on to use a lot throughout my life. Therefore, I have taken on board everything that I’ve read and learnt about feedback so that I am able to give good feedback as I find it to be crucial in learning. I’ve also become more aware of how taken on feedback from other people is extremely important to aid your learning, therefore, I will be paying particular attention to the feedback I am now given. Hopefully, over the next years spend in a classroom, I will gain more confidence in giving feedback.