Using Student Feedback to Guide Teaching and Learning
Hey Coach,
I want my students to be more vocal of their needs in my classroom. How can I create ways for students to provide me with feedback on their learning, and how can I use that feedback to guide my teaching?
Sincerely,
Feedback for Thought
Dear Feedback for Thought,
It is great that you want to harness the power of student voice to guide your teaching! It is so important for both the teacher and the student to be honest with themselves and one another about the learning process as they learn and grow. Not only should you give students the opportunity to evaluate their needs and provide you with feedback, you must also take time to utilize that feedback to guide your teaching. Let’s dive into a few ways we can make this happen!
In order for students to provide meaningful feedback on your teaching and their learning experience, you have to ask the right questions. You cannot just ask them to give you a grade for your teaching or simply ask how they “liked” a lesson or unit. Questions that are too broad will not provide the answers you need. As the teacher, your questions must be phrased to focus on certain aspects of your teaching strategies, the ways in which students engaged with the lesson, and the areas in which students felt frustrated or confused. Consider asking questions such as:
Did you feel that I answered your questions and confusions during the lesson/unit?
How many times did I check in on you while you worked?
What did you enjoy about the lesson/unit?
What would you like to see less of in the next lesson/unit?
What confused you about this lesson/unit?
How do you feel you worked during the lesson/unit?
You also need to time your collection of feedback appropriately. Daily feedback may become tedious for both you and the students, while quarterly or semesterly feedback won’t provide you with ongoing information to support learning. Asking for feedback once a week, at the close of a lesson where you tried something new, or near the end of a unit can provide you with enough information to adjust your teaching to best support the needs of your students. In addition, avoid adding feedback as a homework assignment or tacking it on during the closing of your lesson, when students may rush through their responses. Instead, carve out a specific amount of time where students may provide feedback for you.
The way you collect feedback is determined by a few factors, including the age of your students and the availability of technology in your classroom. The length and depth of the task should align with student readiness, asking enough questions to provide adequate feedback in a way that is accessible and understandable to students. Check out our Tech Tools for Collecting Student Feedback infographic to find some great tech-based options. If technology is not available in your classroom, check out our Low Tech Options for Collecting Feedback infographic.
The collection of feedback is not as important as what you decide to do with the feedback you receive. Each teacher should regularly practice self-reflection, determining what went well during a lesson, what could be improved upon, and how well the students connected with and engaged with the content. You can find some great ideas for tech tools to support self-reflection in our 5 Tools for Teacher Reflection infographic, or you might instead keep a handwritten reflection journal.
Student feedback provides another valuable layer to your self-reflection. Don’t take the student feedback as a personal attack on your abilities as a teacher, but rather use their feedback to guide your teaching practice. Feedback helps you determine how your students are responding to your teaching, giving you valuable information on when you may need to change your pace or teaching strategies to better support your learners. As you implement changes based on your students’ feedback, they will see that their voice matters to you in the classroom, creating a supportive and effective learning environment for all.
All the best,
Coach
