Student+Surveys+About+Teachers

Surveys to Give Students

I used to give this one a lot. It tends to result in great feedback re: classroom climate. It will also get you a lot of "studentish" answers about "no homework" and "more passes to the bathroom." They turn these in anonymously, then I skim them, then I generally give them the option of hearing them all read aloud (I read all the answers to one question at a time, then go back and do the next one, etc.). I read quickly and it takes awhile, but I find that it helps them to see that some of the things they may hate to do are the things that are working for other students in the class. It also gives us an opportunity to have an honest and open discussion about issues that seem to be pervasive, and allows me to insert running commentary regarding why I do certain things the way I do them. We brainstorm solutions together as well. Having said all of that, you should also know that it goes over better in some classes than others.

Sometimes they write really, really, REALLY mean things--so you have to remember they are kids, they have frustrations, and sometimes they aren't very professional about how they express those. Even so, I read those aloud too. I think it is important for them to hear how their own unkind words "feel" when they are read aloud, and it sends them the signal that I'm willing to share the power with them.

1) The best thing about this class and/or your teaching is . . .(What is working for me is. . .)

2) The worst thing about this class and/or your teaching is . . .(What isn't working for me is. . .)

3) My recommendations for things to try include . ..

4) What I hope we change next semester is . . .(What I still need is. . .)

5) The questions I have are . ..

Another thing I've tried is to list topics we've covered and/or major activities we've done in big letters at the top of various sheets of paper (i.e., art unit, migrant workers unit, paired activities, inside/outside circles, learning centers, field trip to the panaderia, etc.). Each kid starts with a sheet, has 30 seconds to jot a reaction, then pass to the next person. When all the papers have circulated, you end up with a very nice sense of what worked and what didn't that you don't always get from the open-ended response questions listed above because the kids have forgotten all the things you did by the end of the semester.

user:chericem1