Teaching is hard. Growing up is harder. Virtual teaching is really hard. So imagine dealing with growing up AND virtual learning. Today I took a break from teaching and handed the mic to my kids. I asked them to fill out a mid-point feedback survey. It was time well-spent.

We moved from semesters to trimesters so we have even less time to fit things in. But we have to make time for the things we believe are important. Feedback from my students is so important, especially now. So I made time. And I’m glad I did. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you.

Ask what’s working. You might be surprised to find you’re doing a better job than you think. Ask what’s not working. And don’t be defensive. After all, you asked. Listen and be committed to adjust if necessary. Ask what other teachers are doing well. You might learn something!

Ask the students to reflect on what they’re doing well and what they can improve on. After all, we all need self-reflection. And finally, ask what they wish their teachers knew about their lives and give them the opportunity to share (or not). I’m curious, what else could we ask?

I gave class time during Zoom to complete the survey with breakout room options. Room 1 was for quiet independent work. Room 2 was for people to discuss while filling it out (because I figured kids miss each other) and Room 3 was with me in case anyone had ?s or needed help.

I used Google Forms with responses sent to a Google Sheet so I could easily read feedback as it came in. I could have given it as homework. But they have enough homework from their other classes. Too much. I asked for feedback so it was only fair I gave them our time to do it.

I’ve done formative feedback since my 1st year teaching. I realized relying solely on summative feedback was a disservice to my students. Sure it helps me grow for future students. But what about what I can do right now? I want to be better for my current students as well.

We give students work and feedback along the way. We ask them to be vulnerable. We ask them to learn by failing and improving. We have to be willing to do the same. We don’t have all the answers. Our students can teach us, too. We just have to listen.