Demonstrates the ability to give constructive and timely feedback
Time management can sometimes be a tricky thing, especially when others are relying on you to get your work done on time so they can, in turn, do their part as well. It's another story when you're supposed to provide feedback to an individual by their allotted amount of time. Then it becomes another complex process when the feedback is meant to be for the purposes of learning and thus requires the right balance of subtle critiquing to lead the individual in the right direction, all the while without providing too much guidance.
I had the opportunity to teach and mentor four level 1 students from Belmont’s OTD program during my third fieldwork rotation. They asked for feedback on their SOAP notes. Since it was the first time I had given feedback through a Word document and wasn’t sure how well I could virtually facilitate their learning, I inquired when they needed to turn their assignment in so I could return it with enough time for them to make changes for submission. Their assignments were due by Sunday at 7pm and they would usually get their assignments to me by Friday night or Saturday morning.
I would read through their SOAP notes, immediately highlight the positives then provide insight per section. For instance, one of the students provided meaning and her opinion in the O section. It sounded very good but was in the wrong section. I made a note of this and explained the reasoning to her. “You only want concrete observations in the O section, like what did you SEE the member do? What did you hear the member say? How did he/she present herself, i.e. flat affect, excited demeanor, tired body language.” This was all information my fieldwork educator had provided me when I arrived to the facility. Her O section progressively improved and I let her know it. Although I may have provided a lot of feedback, I always tried to give her some encouragement that it was a learning process and it was obvious she growing as a practitioner. I tried to give her feedback within a reasonable time frame. The assignment was due to my fieldwork educator by 7pm on Sunday and if they gave it to me Friday night then I would try to get it back to them by Saturday morning.
I will admit that providing feedback in a timely manner for the purposes of learning is a skill that requires time and lots of experience to truly hone it. I can appreciate my professors more because I feel that I have had a taste of what they must experience, albeit a tiny portion compared to their daily experiences utilizing this skill. If I ever pursue a career path in academia, then I am grateful to have had this learning opportunity to improve my ability to provide constructive and timely feedback in an educational setting.
I had the opportunity to teach and mentor four level 1 students from Belmont’s OTD program during my third fieldwork rotation. They asked for feedback on their SOAP notes. Since it was the first time I had given feedback through a Word document and wasn’t sure how well I could virtually facilitate their learning, I inquired when they needed to turn their assignment in so I could return it with enough time for them to make changes for submission. Their assignments were due by Sunday at 7pm and they would usually get their assignments to me by Friday night or Saturday morning.
I would read through their SOAP notes, immediately highlight the positives then provide insight per section. For instance, one of the students provided meaning and her opinion in the O section. It sounded very good but was in the wrong section. I made a note of this and explained the reasoning to her. “You only want concrete observations in the O section, like what did you SEE the member do? What did you hear the member say? How did he/she present herself, i.e. flat affect, excited demeanor, tired body language.” This was all information my fieldwork educator had provided me when I arrived to the facility. Her O section progressively improved and I let her know it. Although I may have provided a lot of feedback, I always tried to give her some encouragement that it was a learning process and it was obvious she growing as a practitioner. I tried to give her feedback within a reasonable time frame. The assignment was due to my fieldwork educator by 7pm on Sunday and if they gave it to me Friday night then I would try to get it back to them by Saturday morning.
I will admit that providing feedback in a timely manner for the purposes of learning is a skill that requires time and lots of experience to truly hone it. I can appreciate my professors more because I feel that I have had a taste of what they must experience, albeit a tiny portion compared to their daily experiences utilizing this skill. If I ever pursue a career path in academia, then I am grateful to have had this learning opportunity to improve my ability to provide constructive and timely feedback in an educational setting.