Term 2 2017 student feedback

At the end of every term, I ask students to fill out a Google Form to help them (and me) reflect on the Term. 

I genuinely take their feedback into consideration and try to better myself as a teacher. 

Here are some gems/things to think about that I want to remember from this terms responses.

Did you have fun this term? How? When?

• Yes when we made sushi we were all helping each other
• It was cool cause we made stuff 
• Yes because during learning we also get to have fun together as a class and mostly sometimes outside and inside
• Yes I did. I had fun when we went to the tip top factory in week 7. I was able to spend time with my classmates and other students in other classes.
• I have had fun every time I come to school.
• i had fun when we were making sushi and it was fun because we were all doing something new because most of us have not made sushi before.

What was one thing Miss Ashley was good at this term?

• Miss Ashley was good when it was my first day of school (written by a new student)
• Helping us when we are angry or something else
• Getting us prepared with work and challenging us
• Miss Ashley is good at including other people's ideas and their cultures.
• The most thing that miss ashley was so good was teaching us new strategies like algorithm and when coach us in our sport tournaments and how she encouraged us to never give us up.
• She was good at making everything fun because if we were stuck she would give us cool examples and she would always let us use a cool for writing like a debate.
• She listens to us
• Miss Ashley was good at this term was maths.

What was one thing Miss Ashley could be better at next term?

• Getting us more prepared for everything we learn
• She could be better at listening sometimes.
• What Miss Ashley can do better next term is to like make our work so challenging for us.

I also loved how many of my students were able to accurately say what they learnt in reading, writing and maths. A lot of our inquiry was mentioned as well (anything healthy/cooking/sushi related). I didn't prompt them at all to remember what they had learnt, so I was really proud they actually did remember by themselves. Hopefully that means it was absorbed deep down!

Personal reflection on this term and things to think about for next term -

This term I really pushed writing and think I did well in that learning area. We covered a lot of measurement stuff which the students were interested in and remembered. They weren't that into the whole-class read aloud, so I will think about how I can make this better/different for them...

I want to be respected, not feared, and so far this has worked for me. The one time students have taken their freedom to far, I addressed in (not even yelling!) and they stopped. I believe in being honest as possible and informing students as much as possible. Towards the end of the term I made a schedule to inform students of everything that was coming up (and to help me keep track!) and they LOVED IT. Definitely will be doing that again.

I think next term I may have to be more strict on students who do not complete their work to the expected standard, and will talk to the students about this and we can agree on a consequence (etc) together. This is something I felt I was too easy on and they can't get in the habit of not finishing stuff before heading into senior primary.

I want to do some kind of study on emotions/human nature to help my students better understand how each other are feeling and so they can empathise and help each other better. Needs to link to Mauri Ora Mana Potential Model..

I had a lot of fun this term. It was hard, stressful, something always happening (as usual) but it was great!