Below is a set of questions which Chris Yates endeavours to get all of his classes to answer at least three times a year. It’s a very powerful example of how student voice can have genuine impact. Have a look at the questions and consider how they could be developed for your own teaching, then read Chris’s own insights beneath.
- What went well for you this term / year? Where have you progressed? How has this happened?
- What have been the barriers to further success in English?
- How have you contributed to lessons?
- What have you enjoyed about the lessons?
- What did you not like about the lessons?
- What would you change about the lessons?
- Do we do enough pair or group work?
- Homework – too much, too little?
- Seating – does it help or hinder you where you’re sat?
- What have you seen other teachers do / use in lessons that you think would be suitable for us?
- How’s life in school generally?
- What are your next targets for the coming term / year?
I try to use this at least three times a year with each class, although sometimes it may not be appropriate or I may not ask all the questions (or time simply runs out). It was intended to give the students an opportunity to voice their feelings and ideas without having to do it verbally – they certainly seem more open when writing things down.
I’ve got a lot of useful information from these, about relationships in the class, what excites them (and bores them) and in the absence of regular observations of other teachers, it gives me an insight into what other teachers are doing. I tell them to avoid names or subjects, but they do say that such and such a teacher has this great starter, etc.
The task helps me to get to know the students better, too. The response to ‘How’s life in school generally?’ are often very revealing and moving – the quieter students seem to see this as a vehicle to reveal their true feelings about their daily experiences at school.
The important thing is to act on what’s written. I produce a rough sheet of the points made, both positive and negative, about my lessons – and I show it to the students to let them know that their opinions are valued. Sometimes you need a thick skin, when 20 out of 30 students say your lessons are boring compared to Teacher X, but that’s valuable too.
Finally, doing these helps them compose and articulate their thoughts for a lesson, breaks away from the syllabus and, as I try to do them towards the end of terms, gives me what I see as a valuable lesson, rather than putting them through half of ‘Finding Nemo’ for the umpteenth time. No student deserves that.
TALK Bridgewater 