Coping With Criticism: Overview

Introduction

Dealing with criticism is a challenging experience for most people. If not handled effectively, criticism will impede improvements in performance, diminish self-esteem, and lead to aggressive behavior or social withdrawal. Handled well, criticism can promote learning, improve performance, and enhance self-confidence. This program presents effective ways in which children and young adolescents can cope with criticism.

Criticism Module Obiectives

This program will teach students to:

1. Understand what criticism is.
2. Distinguish valid/fair criticism from invalid/unfair criticism.
3. Understand why people give criticism.
4. Identify characteristics of:
• A COLD (passive) response to criticism.
• A HOT (aggressive) response to criticism.
5. Identify drawbacks of the HOT and COLD responses to criticism.
6. Identify the three steps of the COOL response to criticism:
• LOOK COOL: Calm Down
• THINK COOL: Self-Talk
• ACT COOL: Take Assertive Action using three methods:
• Accepting/Apologizing - Lesson 1
• Ask To Clarify/Accept - Lesson 2
• Explain Your Side - Lesson 3
7. Identify the benefits of the COOL response to criticism.
8. Recall and perform the four steps of the assertive COOL response to criticism in roleplay and real situations.