Feedback and Support

In order to improve our own practice as a teacher, lesson planner and a professional in a teaching organisation working with others, it is important that we take account of feedback from various sources and evaluate our own performance on a regular basis. As Wilson, suggests:

In my point of view feedback is an essential tool for learners’ progress. If the student is not assessing their work then they are not learning and given feedback are vital to ensure best practice is maintained and the learners are achieving to their full potential.

All feedback needs to be concerned and supportive; it needs to include both negative and positive feedback. Positive can help us feel good about our self and positive about our skills that have been observed. However to develop further we need negative feedback to make improvements and grow as individuals, and

Feedback is a vital part of the assessment process as it gives the assessor an idea of if the learner has met the criteria set and if they haven’t, what action is needed to achieve the criteria.

The aim of this assignment is to critically reflect on the experience of mentoring and assessing a student in clinical practice. As the student was on a four week placement the assessment process will be discussed incorporating the qualities of the mentor and the effect it can have on the mentor/student relationship. In turn evaluating the learning environment and teaching strategies used including learning styles, reflecting on how they were applied to help the student. Finally, the evaluation of overall performance as a mentor. For the purpose of this work a pseudonym will be used to maintain confidentiality hence the student will be known as ’A’. ( NMC Code of Conduct 2007)

Unit 522 - Facilitate coaching and mentoring of practitioners in health and social care or children and young people's settings

Coaching and mentoring are not about learning to do something the right way, but are about helping to lead an individual to find their own way of doing it practically and efficiently. Coaching and mentoring sessions are guided with theoretical models, which help focus both the coach and the coachee in attaining desired outcomes for problem situations. However, even with the aid of theoretical models not everyone can coach another person. The first and far most important attribute of a coach is the ability to build relationships with the coachee

If the feedback is questionable then it becomes useless because it is not trusted. Positive and negative feedback will be more readily accepted if it is kept even, if it is more of one then it may not be received well by the learner for reasons that become obvious within the learner’s behavior or work.

Facilitate coaching and mentoring in health and social care or children and young people’s settings.

It is always my aim to ensure that feedback is timely and given in a constructive and sensitive manner; and my approach can sometimes be influenced by what I have learned during initial assessment; and as I develop relationships with the learner. I have recently made efforts to encourage my learners to reflect and to self-assess their performance. I feel that this helps to pave the way for me to feedback to the individual and to reduce the risk of de-motivating them.

Watt, L. (2004). Mentoring and coaching in the workplace: an insight into two leading leadership

This report will determine the value of coaching and mentoring; highlight some factors to consider when developing coaching and mentoring and show models and methods

Feedback is important in an assessment but it must not be negative, just be constructive but positive. You can use a sandwich approach; start with positive feedback, then constructive feedback, the ending on positive note. Giving the learner a positive action plan and reassurance that it can be achieved.

Mentoring is about nurturing the potential of the whole person; both however are about improving performance. There is a strong argument that coaching can be undertaken by line management or an individual within the organisation who has knowledge of processes and procedures. It is however more beneficial when mentoring to engage with someone from outside the organisation however it is essential to match personalities, research interests, experience and personal style.

Mentors now have to be aware of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, NHS leadership Qualities Framework, which gives mentors clear instructions about their responsibilities (Kinnell and Hughes 2010). However, meeting these requirements alone will not make a nurse a successful mentor. Mentors have to plan and provide appropriate opportunities for teaching and learning activities, with clinical experience to achieve learning outcomes and develop professional competencies (Choun and Suen 2001). This will enable them to assess students performance,