edwardsmiddleschoolmanga

Here is a cover page and two pages from DeShawn's on-going series, "Cele E Ti Al Party". Please correct me if this is incorrect. DeShawn has been working very passionately and this is merely a snippet of his creative endeavors.

As teacher, it is my job to improve the work of each and every student. And so, this blog post is about "constructive criticism", or, to put it another way, "how to "THINK CRITICALLY."

Thinking critically about your own work is essential to growth as an artist, writer, ... just about anything. Having the power to look at work and judge it based on what it demonstrates is key. However, people's egos can easily be hurt. And I'm not brash enough to waltz into class and put down everyone's work. And so "CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM" is what needs to be learn.

Here is an example of BAD criticism:

"I don't like panel 2 because the guy in it looks stupid."

Here is an example of GOOD criticism:

"I have a hard time reading the manga. Perhaps you should make more space for your text so it is legible."

CLASS QUESTION:

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE between good criticism and bad criticism?

I'm putting DeShawn's work up on the blog because he is confident, excited and shows lots of promise. As a result, I wish to give him constructive criticism so he'll get better. Beware those who can't take constructive criticism; they don't grow or improve. At the same time, beware people who have no confidence in their work. If you don't like your work or believe in it, you can't expect anyone else to.

A copy of our latest zine will be passed around. On a piece of paper that will be going around, think of something CONSTRUCTIVE to say to a class peer. You can choose to to write your name or keep your comments anonymous.

Also: Take comments with a grain of salt, meaning, constructive criticism should be taken at face value. As we've examined, there are lots of different types of manga ... and you should stick to your guts!