A while ago I came across the CLEAR Method from Dan Martellās Buy Back Your Time, and it surprised me how well it translates into teachingāespecially in physiotherapy education, where feedback is essential, but often difficult to give.
At its core, CLEAR offers a simple structure to invite honest feedback:
- Create a pleasant and safe environment.
- Lead by explaining that you genuinely want to improve.
- Emphasize by repeating what you understood from their feedback.
- Ask for more critique, because most people hold back.
- Redirect by deciding whether to accept or decline the feedback, and explore what you can change if you accept it.
It may look simple, but in a hierarchical relationshipālike teacher and studentāit becomes incredibly powerful. Students donāt hold back because they have nothing to say; they hold back because no one has opened the door for them.
This is why it matters to me as a physiotherapy instructor to actually ask for feedback.
I still remember how hesitant I was as a student. During my early internships, I rarely gave my instructors feedback unless someone explicitly asked for it (usually at the very end). And even then, I always softened my answer a bit, because I wasnāt sure whether my honesty would be appreciated. I often directed my feedback into questions insteadālike asking whether it was okay to ask something in front of a patient, or if I should wait until after the session.
One moment stuck with me:
In my first internship, one of my instructors asked what they could have done better. I told them I wished for more hands-on practice. Because of the COVID years, we had barely been allowed to switch partners, so I didnāt feel familiar with different body proportions or tissue qualities.
My instructor looked at me and said something I never forgot:
āIf you open up earlier, we can adjust things for you.ā
It wasnāt criticismāit was guidance. And it opened my eyes to how differently students approach internships.
In my internships, I was the kind of student who jumped right in. I tried to be present, asked questions constantly, and wanted to understand every decision my instructors made. When I talk to colleagues now, some of them feel annoyed when a student behaves like that. And it feels strange, because I was that studentābut I never had the sense that my instructors disliked it. If anything, they encouraged it. Or maybe they didnāt, and I just didnāt notice. I was so focused on the patient that I probably missed a lot of subtle signals. And just because someone seems annoyed doesnāt automatically mean theyāre annoyed with you, right?
Again: communication would have solved so much.
This is why Iām experimenting with the CLEAR method in my teaching.
And this is why I check in with my students regularly and help them reflect on their actions. I ask questions like:
- Do you want more freedom or more structure?
- Do you want to take the lead, or do you prefer that I guide you?
- Do you feel confident with the tasks I give you?
- Do you think everyone understood your explanation of that exercise?
- Could you have done something better in that session?
- What did you learn from this session?
- Is there anything you didnāt understand, or do you need help understanding my thought process?
But even with those check-ins, not much always comes back. And thatās exactly where CLEAR helps me create a space where honest feedback feels safe.
Sometimes I point out a specific patient who seemed confusedāfor example, when a student explains an exercise. Not to embarrass them, but to make the moment more concrete. Reflection is easier when you know exactly what youāre reflecting on.
And just like I ask them for feedback, I try to model it myself. I share my own internship storiesāwhat felt difficult, what I needed, what I misunderstood, and what I eventually learned as both a student and as a teacher. Itās my way of building trust and creating a space where they feel comfortable opening up, too.
Everyone has a different teaching style, so communication on both sides becomes essential.
š§Ŗ Letās Experiment
CLEAR isnāt just a feedback tool ā
itās a way to create relationships where honesty feels safe.
Itās not always easy to give or receive honest feedback. A little structure can make it feel less intimidating ā something steady to hold on to when the conversation feels vulnerable.
šÆ Try This:
If youāre a trainer:
- Check in with your students regularly ā not only about what they did, but how they felt doing it.
- Ask whether something was unclear or if they needed more guidance.
- Invite them to share feedback with you. Many of your blind spots only become visible through their eyes.
If youāre a student (works for employee, partner, or friend, too):
- Remember that the people guiding you canāt guess your needs ā they want to support you, but you have to let them in.
- Communicate openly, even if it feels a bit uncomfortable at first.
- Say when you need more structure, and say when you prefer more freedom.
š§ Final Thought:
Feedback shouldnāt feel like criticism. When both sides stay curious rather than defensive, CLEAR becomes more than a method ā it becomes a conversation that helps everyone grow.
Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learningāyouāve got this.
Take care,
Carina š¦