Asking students for their feedback can be a helpful way for teachers to make informed decisions when adjusting their curriculum and classroom instruction. There are a variety of approaches you can take to accumulate this feedback. Read on to see some suggestions on what teachers are doing!
1 – Have students fill out an anonymous survey each quarter. The surveys can help you improve year to year and adjust for the students you have each year. These surveys show that you’re open to improvement, making it a good model for the students as well. Consider also doing a first impressions survey in week two.
2 – Teacher reviews can be very helpful. Survey students a quarter into the year and then mid-way through the fourth quarter. It’s a great way to (1) identify what parts of your teaching style they appreciate and (2) anything they feel like was shaky from a content perspective.
3 – Ask students for feedback on how the discussions are going. After you explain a concept or solve a certain problem, ask the class if any of them have questions so that you can try to adjust phrasing or whatever else that might help them – also ask them as to what made it difficult for them to understand the explanation earlier.
4 – On some lessons, consider giving students handouts to study as a supplement and then ask about them (Did the handout help? What did they like about the handout? What could be improved about the handout?).
These are all great techniques to gather student feedback on your curriculum and classroom instruction. Do you have another method that works? Share with us in the comments section below!