Being a reflective practitioner

I recently had the opportunity to mentor a colleague in how to provide good feedback to veterinary nursing students. The experience reminded me of when I had my teaching evaluated by a respected colleague. Her report about my teaching was pages long and at first I was shocked and afraid of what I might find when I read it. However, her feedback identified not just my weaknesses, but also my strengths and ways to improve. Even more valuable were her titbits of experience that she peppered throughout the report; I could see that she cared, and that she really knew what she was talking about. The way she presented her feedback let me know that her experiences were her own, that there were many ways of doing things, and that my ways were not bad. As I read the report, I felt empowered, even as she presented things that I could do better.