It’s not the first day of school anymore, but it is the beginning of a new
semester. A chance to start fresh.
Some of you may be very pleased with the way your first semester went; others may wish things had gone differently. Either way, you are not trapped by the habits of the fall semester.
Whether or not you’d like to change things in your classroom, here are some ideas to set a tone that is beneficial to learning:
1. Have students do a Student Personal Reflection . Consider asking students to write from their heart—without worrying about spelling or punctuation. Ask questions such as:
• What activity/assignment/topic ended up being a reflection of your best work?
• What activity/assignment/topic did you struggle with? How can I help you improve?
• How have you seen yourself change since the beginning of the year?
• What are your goals for second semester? How can I help you achieve your goals?
2. Ask students to evaluate your class. Ask questions such as:
• What did you like best about this class?
• What would you like to change about this class?
• What was your favorite activity?
• What was your least favorite activity?
• What did I do well as your teacher?
• What would you like me, as your teacher, to improve upon?
• Perhaps have students rate the class (scale 1-5), your teaching (1-5)…
Asking students to give their opinions about you, your classroom, and your teaching can be a very scary thing. But as a reflective teacher, information is needed to grow. Once I started asking my students to give their opinions, I found I was able to see my teaching through an honest lens. It helped me eliminate unproductive practices and I became a much better teacher. It also told my students that I valued their thoughts and opinions.
One more thing to think about...assignments help establish expectations. Think about what message some of your assignments may have sent. Were any of them busy work? Were any of them a page of just calculations?
Students know what we value by the questions we ask. If we want our kids to know that we value their thoughts and ideas, our expectations must reflect that.
It’s never too late to turn a new page in the book of learning. Every day is different than the day before.
To all you fabulous educators out there, have a wonderful semester!
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