3/3/2026
Pages 14-21
Learning grows through feedback!
Take a moment to look over your latest student survey responses. Did anything jump out at you or surprise you? Using those responses as a guide, reflect on where you land among the four categories of "inviting" vs. "uninviting" leadership on page 21.
Once you've had a chance to process the feedback, please head to the blog to share a goal you're working on or a strength that’s helping you navigate this year’s challenges.
I looked over my class survey results and thought about the inviting leadership framework. It is good to see that I land in the intentionally inviting category. My students feel welcomed and supported, and I think my biggest strength is the one-on-one time I give to help them understand the math.
ReplyDeleteThat said, one student comment really stood out. They mentioned I might have too much patience, which made me realize I might be hovering or doing too much of the work for them. My goal for the rest of the year is to use the trust we have built to step back a little. I want to find a way to offer more peer-to-peer work that I am comfortable with and protects the learning environment I have established. That is something many students asked for in their feedback. I am realizing that being an inviting teacher also means knowing when to step back.
I can attest to the fact that you are indeed a GREAT teacher!!! I hear you through the walls everyday, and I am "in fact" learning the math as well!!! I think the instant feedback that you give them really helps them to understand the mistakes that they are making and how to improve!
DeleteI looked at my students’ survey responses and after reading page 21, I see that I am in the intentionally inviting category. I work really hard to make sure my students feel like they belong in my class, that I am here to help them, and that it is okay to make mistakes on the road to learning and mastering concepts and skills. Nothing really surprised me with the results, and I even had a couple of students say my jokes are funny! I do think my use of humor and not being so serious all the time is working in my favor with keeping students engaged and learning the material. One student response did mention that they wish we could do more peer work, so that is something that I would like to try to incorporate more in the future.
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised by your results at all either! You are very intentional with your students and your biggest strength is the connections you make with them. Students are always more willing to engage and learn from someone they like a respect and you do such a great job of building that in your classroom. Proud to be on your team!
DeleteAfter reviewing the responses, I immediately started working on the goal of promoting friendships in my classroom. I am developing ways to incorporate more structured and unstructured opportunities for connection between students. I plan to do more surveying on this topic to develop a better understanding of how our students would be willing to open up more to their classmates. So far, I have placed a few impromptu open chat sessions at the end of lessons and a few students have taken advantage of this. However, I also understand that not all students feel comfortable in that format. I am hopeful that I will be able to make a difference in providing more opportunities to befriend. Stay tuned.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, your idea of another survey to give more details about what opportunities they would like to develop connections is fantastic! Developing friendships is an area where some of my scores were 3's instead of 4's so it is an area I would like to improve too. I think the survey would give students the chance to share what they hope it would look and some students may even share ideas we haven't thought of yet.
DeleteI felt like the surveys were a good reflection and "eye-opener" for me to understand the students perception of OUR classroom, my teaching style, and my overall demeanor as it relates to being their teacher. The majority of the responses suggested that "I" am an intentionally inviting teacher. One thing that I try to do as I build relationships is being FAIR and showing the kids that I understand them as a person; not just academically! I think they do believe this! I feel that each of my classes have different personalities as a whole, and that it is important that I understand the dynamics of my kiddos, as well as the class culture. With me being in a new grade with new standards, I want to make sure that I'm covering everything and giving them a full education; not realizing that they may need a break. Some of the kids responded saying that I keep them the entire time without a break, which we do have five minutes built into our schedule. I'm working on just reaching a "stopping point" and knowing that I can pick back up the next day instead of "curriculum overload" - if that makes sense!
ReplyDeleteI feel like the surveys match much of what I try to do in my classroom. The majority of my students feel loved and seen, they indicate that I am accepting and try to build relationships. No one really had questions, although there was a complaint about the vocabulary work (which is common). I was a little surprised that they feel that I give chances to collaborate and allow students to participate as I often feel like I lack in this part of the virtual world. I would love more collaboration, but struggle with the fear of overloading one student with the majority of work instead of fostering true collaboration. I do, however, enjoy conversations and allow students to discuss their conclusion and thoughts on assignments and games as much as possible while keeping us all on track.
ReplyDeleteAfter reviewing the student survey responses, I was encouraged to see that the majority of answers reflected the highest ratings, with most students responding they feel supported and have a positive experience in the classroom. It was very encouraging to see such wonderful feedback.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are some areas that could use some improvement. One area I would like to focus on is helping students feel that they are needed in the classroom and that their contributions are appreciated. My goal is for
all of our students to recognize their value and the strengths they bring to the classroom.
Moving forward, I would like to be more intentional about incorporating opportunities such as small group discussions and activities, and opportunities for students to share their ideas with the class. I want to provide more chances for students to contribute their thoughts and ask questions.
By doing this, I hope to strengthen students' sense of belonging and help them feel their contributions are valued within the classroom.
After reviewing my student survey responses and pages 20 and 21, I was happy most of my responses were the highest positive ratings. One area for improvement was in the peer to peer/social connection aspects. Though I try to offer opportunities for them to interact with each other, the time constraints and logistics often prevent it. I am hoping to add in more chances for the students to share their thoughts and ideas with each other in small groups like break out rooms but also to give them more opportunities during class to have collaborative learning. It is an area that I am hoping to find more ideas for during the summer so I can incorporate it better into my classroom next year.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the response summary, I can say that students enjoy the class, but wished there was more intentional ways to collaborate with each other. The breakout rooms are a great way to do this; however, it's not the easiest thing to do in the virtual setting. Within the class our discussions are rich and inviting to all, but then again, the students are looking at a way to enjoy each other's company not just academically. Some of their suggestions I have incorporated(like chat on during our break), but I think I will need to find areas to improve on this aspect of the survey.
ReplyDeleteI thought my survey responses showed great energy and enjoyment. There were a couple of responses that had lower scores but commented that they didn't have any questions or comments. While I thought maybe that would be because of the particular students that may have submitted that answer, I wanted to be sure I didn't look at my scores with any bias... AI to the rescue! I plugged my spreadsheet with responses into Gemini and here is the final assessment (it gave me a lot more insight!):
ReplyDelete5th Grade: The "Connection" Group
Your 5th graders are generally very content with your teaching style. They gave high marks for feeling "seen" and appreciated the way you demonstrate new concepts. Their main area of concern is social: they want more structured ways to interact with classmates they don't usually talk to.
6th Grade: The "Autonomy" Group
The 6th graders show a higher level of "middle school" energy. While they deeply respect your inclusivity, they feel the classroom structure is a bit rigid. Their scores indicate a drop in engagement when they feel they are being "shown" what to do rather than being allowed to explore or choose their own path. They are also the group specifically asking for "brain breaks" between subjects.
Recommended Action Plan
For 5th Grade: Incorporate "Randomized Partners" for quick 2-minute discussions to help them branch out socially without it feeling forced.
For 6th Grade: Introduce a "Menu of Options" for one assignment per week (e.g., choose between writing a paragraph, creating a slide, or recording a video).
Due to asynchronous scheduling, and although it didn’t surprise me, my two lowest scores referenced how well I know my students, and the support provided in my classes. I have to find a way, MAKE time to “seek, maintain, and repair relationships”:
ReplyDelete-With my 3rd/4th graders, I have “Monday Meeting” where we talk about our weekend, and collaboratively solve critical thinking questions. During this time, I need to make more time/prompts for building student-teacher relationships…and showcase individual student’s strengths.
-In all classes, I need to provide more videos of my models and demonstrations, as well as, promote and facilitate student-teacher communication protocol already in place.
-I need to adjust, re-design a previous “blog” format I’ve used to facilitate participation, communication, community, and support.
I liked providing my students an opportunity to rate our class climate. I was scored in the intentionally inviting atmosphere. My students shared that they feel welcomed, loved, and accepted, which confirms that the culture of empathy we've built is resonating. While the "heart" of the classroom is strong, the data highlighted a clear desire for more peer-to-peer interaction. Like many of my colleagues, I’ve struggled with the time constraints and logistics of group assignments in a virtual setting. However, I’ve realized that being an inviting leader also means trusting students with more autonomy. My students also want their contributions to be needed. Ms. Hines and I have actually been putting the students in breakout rooms to collaborate more frequently. My goal is to move beyond just "group work" and ensure students feel their individual contributions are needed for the group to succeed.
ReplyDeletePersonal Connection: One of my favorite parts of the day is greeting each student by name every morning. Seeing them smile as they are recognized reinforces that they aren't just a number in a virtual room. Ultimately, I want my students to know they are valued for their strengths, not just their grades. I’m excited to keep iterating on our breakout room strategies to make that a reality!
Reflecting on my own survey data, I noticed that the category asking students, “Do you feel needed in this class? Are your contributions appreciated? Do students collaborate?” received a lower score than other areas. This suggests that while my classroom environment may be supportive, students may not consistently feel that their voices and participation are essential to the learning experience.
ReplyDeleteThese results prompted me to think more intentionally about how I design opportunities for students to contribute meaningfully during class. In a virtual learning environment especially, collaboration and student voice require deliberate planning. Moving forward, I want to incorporate more structured peer discussions, collaborative activities, and opportunities for students to share ideas so they can recognize that their perspectives matter. By being more intentional about these practices, I can shift from unintentionally inviting to more intentionally inviting behaviors that strengthen engagement and help students feel valued within the learning community.
(refined by ChatGPT)