In our contemporary world, the debate over whether teachers should emphasize on affirmation or rebuttal has become a topic of interest. From my perspective, although I believe that encouraging comment is extremely vital, the constructive effect of negative feedback should not be overlooked because of the following reasons.
On the one hand, it is understandable why positive feedback is highly valued. The main reason behind this is the beneficial effect of teacher’s recognition and acknowledgment. By praising student’s hard works and persistence, educators will motivate and enable them to yearn for greater goals by motivation.
In addition to this, complementing student’s work can not only set an example for other pupils to apply themselves to perform better academically but also propel a more competitive healthy study environment. For example, praising a student’s endeavors may significantly increase encouraging and supportive environment, thereby creating a chain effect and facilitating learning motivation and academic performance for the whole class.
On the other hand, there are various reasons as to why criticism should not be denounced. In our fast-pacing society where young people are under heavy pressure, it is undeniable that criticism will impede the acquisition of knowledge of a student. However, placing emphasis solely on positive feedback, students may overlook their weaknesses and culprit behind mistakes, therefore students will be deprived of the abilities and courage to face challenges in other fields and real life. For instance, presentation is a perfect example. If teachers only emphasize on the good points such as pronunciation and confidence but without harsh condemn and neglect towards imperfect features like ideas, they will inadvertently affect pupils’ ability to distill criticism, thereby making them hesitant when facing hardships and vicissitudes in life.
All in all, considering the mentioned points, it is my conclusion that both positive feedback and criticism are equally important in shaping well-rounded individuals. Ultimately, the debate between criticism and positive feedback depends on the circumstances. While favorable evaluation is essential in keeping students motivated and pushing for growth, constructive criticism contributes greatly to their resilience
