Future of Education Podcast S2E281: (Part 2) The Skill Kids Need but Rarely Learn… Feedback 101 with Guide Emily
Nov 22, 2025
Explore the art of feedback as MacKenzie and Emily share actionable strategies for teaching kids how to give and receive it effectively. They discuss the balance of high standards with unconditional support and offer practical tips that can be incorporated at home. Discover the importance of viewing feedback as a gift for personal growth and the role of resilience in receiving critique. Learn how to model receptivity to feedback as parents and transform communication dynamics while fostering an environment where kids feel empowered to grow.
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Build Safety Before Critique
- Create psychological safety before giving critical feedback so students feel valued and open.
- Start with care and praise, then explain that feedback aims to help them reach higher capacity.
Practice, Specific Feedback, Big Stage
- MacKenzie describes coaching her daughter through a Google presentation by giving specific, high-expectation feedback.
- Her daughter incorporated the feedback, performed excellently, and still remembers the moment years later.
Stop Half-Effort In The Moment
- Balance praise with moments where you stop half-effort and ask the child to try harder.
- Use short, direct prompts like "I know you can do better than that" to reframe feedback as growth, not attack.