Student Responses to the Survey - March 2013
In March, I was only able to give the survey to my 2nd period class. Additionally, the circumstances under which they took the survey were not ideal. The principal was in the middle of calling down different classes for a school-wide assembly and I was trying to wrap up my last lesson before Spring Break. Most of the students simply circled a number without any qualitative explanation. Therefore, I do not think that I should try to make too many conclusions from these responses. Nevertheless, below I have included several survey answers so you can gain an understanding of my students’ reactions.
Most of the responses are self-explanatory. The students generally liked the class and thought that they were learning new things. Additionally, many students felt that they were autonomous and controlled their learning - both the activities and their ability to earn a good grade. I want to focus on Response #5. This response came from a student who is bright, but likes to do her own thing. We have disagreed in the past over her behavior and I think that that has caused her to not feel autonomous in the class. This raises the question of what can I do as an educator to ensure that my classroom is managed in an orderly fashion without detracting from my students' learning potential. I want my students to enjoy learning and to feel like they are in control. However, I cannot allow them to simply do what they want without enforcing any rules or reprimanding them for inappropriate behavior. Therefore, as I continue on my path as an educator, I need to find a way to balance both of these aspects of teaching. |