Exam & Assessment Feedback

When you are doing classwork or an assessment task you often receive feedback -this can be from your fellow students or your teacher. Sometimes the feedback is praise for things you have done well and this normally feels good. At other times the feedback is in the form of criticism, hopefully, it is criticism that is constructive and intended to help you understand how to improve your work. For some people, this can feel okay, potentially even exciting that they have learnt about ways in which they can grow and improve. For other people, the criticism can hurt a little, and for others again that criticism may hurt a lot. This is often referred to as "rejection sensitivity" as it is experienced as rejection and can trigger a stress response for the individual; responses can include anxiety, shame, guilt, defensiveness, and disappointment in themselves (Nicole Day, 2022). Over time some individuals with strong rejection sensitivity begin to avoid situations where they might experience rejection -for a student, this can be particularly difficult (Nicole Day, 2022). 

According to a survey, 99% of *ADHDers are more sensitive to rejection than usual; one-third of ADHDers report rejection sensitivity as one of the most challenging aspects of being an ADHDer ((cited in Nicole Day, 2022.) +citation for study). Of course, experiencing rejection sensitivity is not limited to ADHDers. 

Gifted learners also have a higher risk of developing perfectionism. Well-adjusted perfectionism can be experienced as striving to be your best with strategies such as reflective goal setting and monitoring your learning for improvements. 'Maladaptive perfectionism', perfectionism that is problematic can lead to unhappiness and anxiety, this can also lead to rejection sensitivity (Alva et al., 2022). There is an overlap of supportive strategies for ADHDers and people with perfectionism to reduce their rejection sensitivity

If you are concerned that rejection sensitivity is making your life difficult, talk to a trusted teacher, book a time to see a school counsellor in the Wellbeing Hub, or speak to a parent or carer you feel comfortable with so they can make help you make a plan to access support.

Below are some strategies to reduce rejection sensitivity that anyone can try: 

• Shift your focus from valuing good grades to valuing growing and learning. Yes, still care about your grades, but care more about learning. In a subtle way, this shifts what you pay more attention to and what it means to you. If you are about to receive written feedback, remind yourself that you hope to get feedback that identifies ways in which you can improve because you know that long term, growing through your learning is a path that will allow you to grow into the challenges that you set for yourself (Carol Dweck, 2006). Mistakes can be welcome clues, and total failures can be a part of the path to success (Carol Dweck, 2006). Shifting this type of thinking takes time and persistence, think of the slowly flowing river eroding rock -be patient with yourself and persistent. 

  • Are you curious about making mistakes your ally? Try reading "Giftedness: A Motivational Perspective" by Carol Dweck (2006).

• Use the Exam Wrapper or Assessment Wrapper in the next section of this page. These worksheets help you take the feedback and use it to make a plan for future improvements. With a good plan that you follow, you are on your way to learning and growing (Yay!). 

• Regularly use positive affirmations of self-encouragement or motivation. Use the present tense, direct it to yourself and use positive words such as "I can..." or "I am...". Research shows that positive affirmations can boost self-esteem, foster a growth mindset, and reduce negative thinking patterns (Nicole Day, 2022). 

*Note on the use of 'ADHDer': ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) is a label that for some people is not helpful as it labels them as having a disorder. ADHDer is an emerging alternative name used by some people in the community; they refer to themselves as being an "ADHDer" rather than a person who has ADHD.