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Case Study
Out in the Open
Irene provides feedback to her student teachers as a group, something Sandeep finds frustrating.
As the bell rang and students rushed outside, Sandeep let out a deep sigh of relief. Not terrible. Not perfect, but for a first observation, not terrible.
Her UC, Irene, gathered her materials and put them in her bag. Sandeep cringed as she watched the papers fold and wrinkle as they were shoved in, scrawled with feedback.
“I’m going to fetch the other student teachers,” Irene said. “Why don’t you get Desiree and meet us in the breakout room down the hall?”
Sandeep blinked, her mouth half opening to ask why, but Irene had already left the room.
“It’s a group debrief,” Desiree said as they walked to the breakout room, swerving around students putting on their boots and coats. “She mentioned it after my observation this morning. She doesn’t have time to debrief with us individually this week, so she’s going to do it as a group.”
"But didn't Quaid already have his? Sandeep asked.
“Oh my goodness, yes!” Desiree said, whispering now as they approached the room. “His was horrible. He was practically in tears when we carpooled back home.”
"But didn't Quaid already have his?" Sandeep asked.
"Your approach would not work with older kids," Irene said.
They were quickly joined by the others and sat at a round table. Sandeep hid her fidgeting hands in her lap, trying to take deep breaths without being too obvious. Getting feedback as a group? But it was such a private thing.
As it turned out, Adeline, one of the other student teachers hadn’t even been observed yet and Quaid had finished his already, so all the feedback was for Desiree and Sandeep.
Desiree went first, and Sandeep got progressively more nervous as she waited for hers. "Oh god," she thought, "Everyone is going to hear everything."
Sandeep just smiled and nodded. But inside she was thinking, “That’s such a stupid suggestion, like that doesn’t even make sense. I cannot be expected to teach grade ones with the same manner that I would teach grade fives.”
When it was her turn, Irene went through what she did, focusing on what she did wrong more than what she did right.
Reflection Questions
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What role does relational trust play in accepting challenging feedback? How might Irene have strengthened the relational dynamic before providing feedback publicly?
What role does emotional readiness play in receiving feedback? How might Irene have framed the feedback differently to make it more constructive?
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Under what circumstances might group feedback be appropriate? How could group feedback be structured to optimize its effectiveness?
How do you think Irene would describe her intentions in conducting a group feedback session? How can mentors check whether their feedback is being understood as intended?
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Sandeep ultimately realizes that she rejected feedback from Irene that she readily accepted from her TA. What does this case teach us about the role of relationships, emotions, trust, and communication in effective mentorship?
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