In a previous post, I shared the idea (not my own) that peer observation is just as useful for the one doing the observation. It can allow us to get out of our own studios, to see how our peers work with students, to experience different assignments, different discussions, and different ‘vibes.’ In this post, I want to argue that the giving of critique is just as important (if not more important than) the receiving of feedback. As Eric Weeks noted last week, in giving critique, we learn to translate our responses and analysis into words.
Though not a perfect comparison, the writer’s workshop provides a useful point of comparison for critique in art. In discussing my ideas about peer observation with a colleague, they shared a post from a writing instructor, Jeremiah Chamberlain, who teaches at the University of Michigan.
He makes the case for giving over receiving quite clearly:
“The point of workshop is to make you a better writer.”
“That’s what I mean,” they reply. (They think I’ve misunderstood them.) “How am I supposed to get better if I don’t know what’s wrong with my writing?”
“You become a strong writer by writing critiques, not reading them, ” I say. Being forced to analyze the effectiveness of other writers’ stories and to then provide them with clear, concise, specific suggestions for improvement will do more to develop a writer’s craft than almost anything else.
Fundamentally, the author points to a key asymmetry in how we perceive art:
“A writer can’t always recognize flat dialogue or abrupt scenes or uneven pacing in her own work, but she can sure as hell see it in someone else’s.
Whether it’s the heat of the moment or the overfamiliarity with our own work: we view it differently than others do…”
This asymmetry means that the idea of seeing our own work ‘objectively’ makes sense in theory, but it proves difficult in practice. The practice of giving critique, however, is one where we can be conscious of our ideas, our thinking, without the funhouse mirrors of our self-perceptions.
So, how might we structure our critiques to make clear that we value the giving just as much as the receiving? Whether it’s giving space for students to write, having discussions about what kinds of feedback are helpful (or less helpful), looking at work and critiquing it collectively, all of these have the power to emphasize the giving as well as the receiving of critique.