Guide to being a Critical Friend Key point – you are providing a voluntary service to develop the skills of others. Keep the interactions positive and productive Ask open questions to deepen thinking Give time to all your participants Read what they write carefully, there’s been a lot of thought gone in to it from their perspective. If you need help, the tutors are there. Encourage deep reflective thinking that draws out understanding of the context they are working in. Help participants understand the relevance of their enquiry as it develops Support them to be specific in their question, process and data collection Support critical reflection of the process. Get feedback from participants and tutors along the way.