- Do you ask your students for feedback on your lessons and courses?
- Do you plan to include feedback from your students in the future?
Planned or not, it's already happening
You can see their feedback in the quality of your relationship, the communication between you, and your shared sense of purpose.
As a teacher you probably give your students feedback all the time. Not just when you return their test papers with a grade, but every time you get into conversation with them. The tone of your voice and your body language speak loudly, much louder than your words. You probably already know that.
And the students give you plenty of feedback in the tone of their voices and their body language. You probably already know that too.
The challenge is to get some clarity and constructive changes from their feedback.
So I'm suggesting that you, as teacher, ask your students for feedback in a more concrete and planned way than simply observing the general tone of voice and body language. Based on the information you receive you will be able to influence the quality of your relationship, the communication between you, and your shared sense of purpose.
So what's coming up in your mind right now about asking students for feedback? If your relationship with the class so far has been less than wonderful, some students might use feedback as an opportunity for revenge. You might learn some inconvenient truths about your teaching. You might risk having your self-confidence shattered by certain remarks. So let's see what you can do to minimise the potential damage so that you can get to the useful information that can guide you in developing your relationship with your students.
- First of all, the feedback can be anonymous.
- Second, the feedback can focus on one lesson, or part of a lesson.
- Then, depending on your current relationship, interpret the feedback with the knowledge that there might be some revenge going on.
Take a pinch of salt with the feedback.
I feel confident that teachers can design feedback forms, so I will give just a few examples here.
Use one sheet for the whole class.
Pass it round the room, or pin it to the door.
Good for a first experience of giving feedback.
What did you think of today's lesson?
Poor
OK
Good
Great
Use one sheet for each student.
Good for allowing more detailed comments
What did you think of today's lesson?
Explain what you want the students to give you feedback on, for example:
Contents
How relevant was it for this course?
Delivery
How interesting was it?
Effect
How much did you learn?
Poor OK Good Great Comments
Contents
Delivery
Effect