When I looked at your questions, my first thought was, “ARGHHH get rid of the “3” on the scale!” I now try to include either 4 or 6 options on the scale, forces an opinion/thought. Glad I kept reading. I too like the open ended questions, I find those the most valuable.

Now to go read more about basketball…

Dan, those are outstanding results. Yes, you have some students that write disappointing things, but you have to remember that some of them are: bitter, bitter, vengeful, or they just read the question wrong. Make sure and CELEBRATE the job well done and don’t DWELL, man.

I agree–I’d get rid of the 1 – 5. Make them commit instead of their usual millennial malaise.

I might start out with a survey at the beginning. . sounds good.

On my evaluations I received the following:

What would you like to see next year (note, these are college students and three separate answers)

1. Jon Stewart
2. ROBOTS
3. More nudity (the student put “more” as if I had ANY nudity of which I didn’t).

Impressive results. And nice of you to disclose that your first two years weren’t as good.

Why no clock? And what’s the basketball about?

On the not using the textbook thing: I know that the textbooks tend to be at a majority of our students’ frustration level, and I didn’t use them much either this year. Still, it just might be worth the time and effort to carefully teach the use of a textbook as a skill in its own right.

Dan, wonderful results. Congratulations.

Just some feeback: maybe the students could make their own goals at the start of the year. At the end of the year, in addition to the wonderful questions you ask them above, maybe they could state what you/the class contributed towards whatever extent of their goals that they have achieved. b) how could it have been better?

This way the kids will have a framework within which to evaluate you and themselves.

Otherwise, and I know this coz I’ve been guilty of this, on the last day you’re either biased in favour or against a teacher. rarely accurate.

Either way though, you see seem to have scored big. All the best!

Vivek

dan – thanks for sharing your results. maybe since i teach english it makes for reflective writing on the year more appropriate to the course content; i’ve done something like this about twice per year with all of my classes, since year one.

wanted to add on to Vivek’s idea – i have always asked students to write about their own participation and effort in my class at the beginning of the reflections sheet, and then only after that do i have the questions asking them to reflect on how i’ve done as a teacher. i like to think it helps put those “outliers” into a better context. (but then again – very few of my feedback forms have involved numbers – i prefer thought out comments.)

i always tell students they can sign it, or choose to leave it anonymous, as they like, but that i won’t touch it until after the marks are handed in. kids aren’t stupid – they know that if it’s not typed out, a teacher can tell which student’s handwriting it is after a year of marking journals and tests and essays.

hope that everyone reading dan’s post makes sure to spread the word about how much these reflections can help! (IF you make sure to keep it in context and not blow it out of proportion.)

TMAO, that’s funny. I guess having 7th graders appreciate your sense of humor just might be a dubious compliment in any case :)

Tony–I heard about an assessment that might work to get the immediate feedback you mentioned. Ask the question–have kids write their response on a note card–turn it in. You have your feedback–if using as assessment they’d have to put their names on it.

I agree with Jackie. The easiest way to “lose the neutral” is to only use Likert scales of 4 or 6.

Congratulations on getting back such excellent evaluations. That is cause for celebration!!!
I would like to comment on people’s comments about the “outliers”. A response or two has said that they are “bitter” or angry, vengeful teens. Does that mean the students that put excellent responses are apple polishers? These two or three students had a gripe and it should be taken just as seriously as those that gave you high marks. There is an old saying about life. It goes something like “20% of people will like you, 20% of people will hate you, 60% don’t care about you either way one bit”.
Here is a true story. When I was doing the second of several pre-student teaching experiences during my juinor year of college, I was assaigned to a 5th grade classroom. My cooperating/mentor teacher called me up to welcome me ahead of time to her class and introduce herself. She told me “oh, and you don’t need to wear a tie”. Of course, being the 20 year old college guy that I was, I said, “woo-hoo!”. So, I never wore a tie. Not once. Well, the end of the year comes along and I am handed my evaluation. Under “professionalism” I get an unsatisfactory. The comments said, “never once wore a tie! Even though I told him he didn’t have to, I thought he would have taken a cue from the other male teachers”. Me and my college buddies said she was a bitch, and an angry bitter person who is probably beaten by her husband. My first job out of college I again, never wore a tie. My evaluation under the “professionalism” catogory states “excellent”. Under comments the principal rights, “always on time for work, works well with admin and staff”. So who is right?