I conducted a brief survey of my Year 9 and Year 10 classes at the end of year in order to understand how they felt about my teaching and mathematics. This is also important for professional standards such as the commitment to learners in the code of professional responsibility and for the teaching and design for learning standards .
Method
Because I was limited on time, and hadn’t organised a more formal talanoa I instead decided to do a written survey, which I did during our normal Hei Mahi time on each classes last period of the year. I asked five questions for each person in the class, they are:
- What have you enjoyed most about maths this year?
- What have you not enjoyed about maths this year?
- What do you like about the way I teach?
- What do you not like about the way I teach?
- Any other feedback?
I gave the students as much time as they needed to complete the survey. I asked them not to write their name on the sheet, so they could be as “free and frank” as they liked about maths this year and my teaching.
Themes from 905 (my Year 9 class)
The themes that came out around Question 2 and 4 were that I had spent too much time using the alpha book with students, and they would appreciate more variety in the types of things we do it class. For example one student mentioned that the didn’t enjoy “the book work where there is no online work”. Other feedback suggested they didn’t like how we abruptly dropped a topic mid-way through.
Themes that came out of Question 1 and 3 were that my explanations were good, and not too long that students didn’t have any time to practice the tasks during the lesson. Students also liked that I moved around the room. One student mentioned that I “check up on us individually every lesson to make sure we understand what we are learning.” and another student that I should “continue to move around and check up on each student during class…”
Most students didn’t give me any other feedback for Question 5, but those who did wished me well for next year.
Themes from 1011 (my Year 10 class)
Overall my 1011 class gave much less time and feedback to my questions. However, themes that came out of Question 2 and 4 were that found maths hard this year and that I didn’t always explain things as well as they would have liked. One student suggested that I was “not loud and strict enough…you’re too soft” although other students like that I was patient and “chilled”.
No definite themes came though from Question 1. Different students enjoyed “doing maths” or particular topics within maths, but they were quite varied. For question 3, themes that came though included that I was calm, patient, and they liked when I worked one on one with them.
There was little feedback given on Question 5.
Lessons for me?
Things to keep doing:
- Moving around the room
- Checking in on students
Things to improve on:
- Use a wider variety of resources
- Discuss with colleagues how they teach certain subtopics in maths. Develop a personal explanation for different maths subtopics (especially for Y10)
- Check for understanding of prior knowledge (especially for Y10)
- Give explanations when we are changing topics with a rationale
- Develop more rigorous routines (planned – see the outcomes from my inquiry cycle)
