Part of being a teacher is also being a student, a learner. This is something I have found to be more and more true the longer I am in the classroom. One of the places I have learned the most is from my students. They offer deep insight and are honest and true. This has led me to give them strong voices in my classroom over the past few years. One way of doing this is through reflections.
Reflection is a huge part of the learning process and helps to create a better learning environment. At the end of every unit, major project, semester, and just periodically, I will give my students a short Google Form to reflect on what we just did. I will generally ask some form of the following questions:
- What did you enjoy about this assignment?
- What did you not enjoy?
- What would you do differently if you were to do this again?
- What questions do you still have?
- Anything else you want to me know?
Just asking these questions is huge for learning. Not only does it challenge students to become reflective thinkers, but it also allows me to see what I can do better. Often I make these anonymous so that students can be honest. If I see a recurring theme or question, I know I should address those now and in future years when I do the project or activity.
I have found that in doing these, students often open up before the Google Form is sent out. They are more willing to give feedback in class, during the project, and to ask questions. Even though the Forms are anonymous, students feel heard and in turn, they feel safe to ask questions out loud. This is huge in creating a classroom environment that values everyone and values questions.
Incorporating student feedback is not hard but it can be scary. Sometimes they point out a flaw in my teaching or they may be frustrated with me or their peers. It can be hard to not be defensive, but that is part of being vulnerable and learning. I need to learn from what they tell me the same way they learn from the feedback I give them. Learning goes both ways. If you do not already incorporate student feedback, I highly recommend it!
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