Critical beatdown

shando · Post by **shando** » September 28th, 2006, 1:25 pm

Holy Moly. If only improv classes/coaching were this brutal.

The last couple pages especially.

Also, from what I hear, Alex Toth was an insufferable ass who alienated all his cartooning friends over his lifetime.

erikamay · Post by **erikamay** » September 28th, 2006, 3:46 pm

i liked this part of roth's critique, and printed it out the entire last page(emphasis lacking from type to print):

always be a student! a scholar! admitting how little you know, how much there's still left to learn, is your key to learning! for a lifetime!

that was awesome. thanks shando.

as this related to improv, i personally prefer brutally honest coaches/mentors. i've grown most while in classes/on teams/in productions with them and respect it when they tell me when stuff sucks. in most cases, i know it sucks and i want them help me get better.

i've noticed that critical feedback in coaching n' teaching sometimes gets lost in the cult of personality drive or the coaches/teacher's need for students to like them. i think there is a balance to be struck (especially with new students), but it ultimately does the student a disservice.

shando · Post by **shando** » September 28th, 2006, 3:52 pm

erikamay wrote:i liked this part of roth's critique, and printed it out the entire last page(emphasis lacking from type to print):

always be a student! a scholar! admitting how little you know, how much there's still left to learn, is your key to learning! for a lifetime!

Yeah, I thought that was the money quote as well.

sara farr · Post by **sara farr** » September 28th, 2006, 4:29 pm

Ooo! This is a really intersting topic to me as the critique has been a big part of my professional career!

erikamay wrote:i personally prefer brutally honest coaches/mentors. i've grown most while in classes/on teams/in productions with them...

I agree that different people can/can't deal with "brutally honest" critisism...
and I wanted to add that a lot of one's ability to absorb and act on that critism has to do with:

1) the respect you have for the teacher's knowledge
2) having the feedback being actionable
3) your level of commitment to improving yourself
4) your ability to act on the # of things you are being asked to deal-with/focus-on at one time

erikamay wrote:i think there is a balance to be struck (especially with new students)...

I agree that beginners need to be treated with more gentility. They are new to the field, may not be as committed, may not have the ability to focus on multiple things at once, may not repsect their instructor, etc.

I think teaching is an art, and a good teacher can find what their students need in order to progress at a speed that is right for them -- keeping them interested and challenged at once.

shando · Post by **shando** » September 28th, 2006, 4:32 pm

And Erika, is that a Camille Rose Garcia painting as your avatar? Nice pic(k).

shando · Post by **shando** » September 28th, 2006, 4:33 pm

Aha, it is. I just found it.

erikamay · Post by **erikamay** » September 28th, 2006, 5:20 pm

And Erika, is that a Camille Rose Garcia painting as your avatar? Nice pic(k)

yop. i'm recently obsessed, courtesy of this month(s) BUST magazine. the short "film" in her gallery page called pharmaceuticools is rock-em-sock-em sweet. novel is on backorder at quimby's, but i plan on some #1 fandom real soon.

re: feedback, i agree sara. i think it has to do with all those things you list, which are essentially the intersection of student willingness and teacher competency.

Jastroch · Post by **Jastroch** » September 28th, 2006, 10:35 pm

The best note I ever got was to shut up and take the note.

Also, I'm never wrong.