As a teacher, I know how important feedback is when working with students. The feedback I give students is crucial to helping students discover how they can improve and develop a deeper understanding of the content. This blog post is going to focus on feedback, but instead of focusing on the feedback teachers give students I am going to focus on feedback that I requested from some of my former students. Throughout the past year a lot of teachers in my building have been wondering how well we have been preparing students for college. We know that not all of our students go to college, but we want to make sure that we are adequately preparing our college-bound students. I decided to reach out to some of my former students with three questions to get some feedback that I can share with my colleagues. I was impressed with their responses and grateful that they were so willing to share their thoughts with me.

Question #1: What part of high school best prepared you for college?

• Student #1: “In my opinion what best prepared me for college was that we had block scheduling. My freshman and sophomore year we had 8 periods a day and then we switched to 4 each day starting my junior year. It is more similar to a college schedule and I already felt like I had a homework routine that I was used to. My high school also offered dual-credit and allowed us to get a head start on college credits while in high school.”
• Student #2: “I’d have to say the electives I took prepared me the most for college. Being able to understand the basics of what I was planning on majoring in helped tremendously. During my freshman year of college I was able to use knowledge I learned from those elective classes the first few weeks to make the transition a bit easier. Having the ability to take college classes in high school was a huge bonus! I was able to knock out a few credits and learn get a taste of how much work a college level class takes. “
• Student #3: “The dual-enrollment courses I took during my junior and senior years best prepared me for college–not necessarily the coursework (although that was helpful) but just learning the skills of time-management, keeping track of deadlines, and managing multiple assignments (reading, assignments, papers, studying for tests) at the same time. Also with open campus, online dual enrollment classes allowed me to experiment with where and how I learn best, while other students don’t get that freedom to experiment until they arrive at college.”
• Student #4: “I would say being able to take college level class through DMACC best prepared me for college because of how they were structured and set-up. Also, having teachers who are more on the strict side with assignments/tests, and who give tests more often because that’s how it is in college. Fast paced. Ooo, and I about forgot… having blocked scheduling actually made the transition to a college schedule much easier!”

Question #2: What do you wish you would have learned in high school to better prepare you for college?

• Student #1: “I wish that high school would have prepared us more for the mental/emotional struggle of the extra responsibility we are given once we get to college. It’s really hard to manage your own time, finances, schoolwork and social life and I think we all struggle with it but it isn’t talked about enough.”
• Student #2: “I’m thankful I was an ‘A’ student in high school, but I almost wish I wasn’t so I would’ve had a better work ethic. I wish high school would have prepared me for tougher classes. I know high school teachers probably have to be more lenient, especially because not all students are planning on attending college, but for the electives and upper level high school classes I feel like they should crack down and be more strict.”
• Student #3: “I wish I would have been better prepared for discussing and writing about challenging topics and just more practice in thinking critically. My high school classes, particularly with english, were very literal–our discussion on readings would mostly recap what had happened in the chapter vs. in college, we are discussing the meaning, the cultural context, the intersectional identities of the author/characters, the impact in larger society, etc. I’ve definitely had to learn on the fly how to present my ideas and articulate my thoughts.”
• Student #4: “I would have liked to have learned more about all of the different possibilities there are out there to do after high school besides just going to college. Plus, I would have liked to learn about all the financial stuff that comes with college.”

Question #3: If you could give advice to high school freshmen to help them succeed, what would it be?

• Student #1: “I would tell high school freshman that it’s totally Okay if you don’t figure out what you want to do before you get to college and that it’s also okay to change your mind. It’s also okay if you don’t go to college at all or if you take a year off to save money and figure out what you want to do because once your in college, managing money is really hard. I really think more students should look into community colleges if you aren’t sure what you want to do. It is much more affordable Skipping class in college is a really bad habit to start, your parents aren’t there to make you go but you’re paying a lot of money and once you start skipping it makes it really hard to stop skipping. Lastly but most important, if you ever need something from your school, ASK. Teachers will work with you and help you with whatever you need as much as they can but you have to ask. I have been surprised many times by teachers going above and beyond when I was struggling in school and with things going on in my personal life. Don’t ever be afraid to reach out and ask for help when you need it.”
• Student #2: “Advice to freshmen… I would tell them to find what they’re passionate and run with it. Learn as much as you can! It makes learning more fun when it’s what you enjoy. And if you don’t know what you enjoy quite yet, don’t throw all of your eggs into one basket. Take different classes and test the waters. It never hurts to try something new! I took Art my senior year (thought I was absolutely awful at drawing up until then!) and it turned out I wasn’t so bad after all, and I’ve found a passion in hand-lettering! It’s not exactly what I want to do in life, but enjoying what you do gives you motivation to succeed and work harder!”
• Student #3: “Work hard in school, but don’t just go through the motions and do what you’re told to look good to colleges or earn an easy A. Find what you’re passionate about and pursue it, even if it’s the more difficult route. Be ambitious and refuse to let any one person or thing define you!”
• Student #4: “My advice to high school freshmen to help them succeed would be to take the hard classes, take courses through a community college, stay on top of your work, get in the habit of making a schedule and plan, and most importantly explore your options. Don’t be pressured or feel pressured to have to have your life figured out. It’s hard to choose a major and it’s hard to know for sure what you want to be for the rest of your life!”

My Thoughts

First of all, can I mention how lucky I am to have taught these amazing students? They really put thought into their answers and they were honest with their feedback. I feel blessed that they trust me enough to share their thoughts with me.

After reading their responses to the first question it was very clear to me that our college-bound students appreciate our block schedule and the dual-credit college courses that are available for them to take. There are times when I worry about our schedule but it was a relief to hear that they feel like it was beneficial. One thing that I think would benefit our students is to hear from college students on how they should manage their time within the block schedule. We currently have an A/B block schedule and our students do not always use their off day to review material. It would be great to have college students talk with them about how they can use their off days to study, review, and practice.

I wasn’t sure what type of responses I would get when I asked the second question. It was clear that the students wished they could have learned more about time management and finances in high school. As one of the Personal Finance teachers this made me realize that we really need to increase the rigor in our course. All seniors have to take Personal Finance and our department is working on updating our curriculum for next year. I really think we need to add more projects that have students applying the content to real-world scenarios. It was also very encouraging to hear students say they wished that they would have had to work harder in their classes. I am a member of a Grading Practices group and we are currently looking at ways we can improve instruction and grading in our school. One of our goals is to increase the rigor of what we are teaching our students.

The last question was a fun one for me to read because it made me realize my students are adults and have grown up so much in the past couple of years. I think it is great that they want our freshmen to know that it’s okay to not have everything figured out. I also love that they mentioned how important it is to take a variety of classes and to ask teachers for help if/when they need it. It is encouraging to know that these former students are grateful for their experiences at KHS and are willing to help out their former teacher.

I am very glad I took the time to get feedback from my students. I will be sharing these responses with my colleagues so we can take some time to discuss their answers and use them as we move forward with curriculum and grading decisions. Also, this process has made me realize how lucky I am to do the job that I do. I have been teaching for 15 years and I am fairly positive I could reach out to students from my first year of teaching and get honest feedback from them as well. The relationships I have built with students over the past 15 years have made a huge difference in my life and I cannot imagine doing anything else. I am so proud of all of the students I have had walk through my classroom door throughout the past 15 years and I look forward to the next 20 years of students who will make a difference in my classroom.

In my last blog post I wrote about the importance of using learning targets to give students a clear picture of what they need to know in each course I teach. If my goal as a teacher is for students to master the content what do I do when students do not learn the content? This is where the reassessment process comes into play. I want my students to learn the material and when they do not I use a reassessment contract so my students can take charge of their learning. The reassessment contract allows my students to put in additional time to show me that they have learned the content.

In my classroom students are made aware that they can reassess on any learning target that they would like to. They also know that it is a process and there are certain steps that they must follow in order to reassess. This process really gives students the opportunity to put in the work in order to truly learn what they need to know.

Step 1: Fill out a reassessment contract

The reassessment contract must be filled out within one week of students receiving the results of their assessment. I used to leave this more open-ended but I had numerous students coming to me at the end of each semester telling me they wanted to retake every assessment in order to raise their grade. The purpose of reassessing in my classroom is to learn the material so I wanted to get away from students focusing on their grade in the last week of the semester. Now, students must determine if they want to put in the extra time to learn the material within one week of receiving their assessment results.

Step 2: Work with Mrs. Keefer for at least 90 minutes outside of class

Students must come into my room before/after school or during our built in Panther Time on three separate occasions for relearning opportunities. Some of the things that they may do during this time include:

• Assessment corrections
• Practice activities – all original practice activities must be done at a proficient level so if students did not do original practice or struggled on those activities they must redo them
• Review activities – students may work on review games like Quizlet, Kahoot, and Quizizz
• One-on-one Reteaching – I spend time reteaching concepts that students struggled with
• Learning Target Rubric Review – each unit has a rubric that clearly outlines what students are expected to know. Students can work through the rubric to ensure they understand the material.
• Other Activities – there are always special situations so certain students may need alternate methods to help them learn the material. Some students may need to verbally go through the material with me, some may need to be assessed in an alternate format, and some may just need me to create new ways for them to review the material.

Step 3: Reassess when ready

I tell students that they must come in at least three separate times but there are some situations when students are not ready to reassess after those three sessions and need additional time with me. I want students to be ready to reassess because I don’t want them to have to repeat the process numerous times. I also want to use this process to help students learn how they can prepare for assessments in a way that works for them. Usually this process helps students learn how to review and they are better prepared for future assessments.

I think it is very beneficial to give students multiple opportunities to show me that they have learned the material. I want them to be successful in my class and I want them to be able to identify what they need to do in order to learn new things. Each student who walks through my door is different but I want all of them to have the skills necessary to succeed out in the real world. I believe giving them multiple opportunities to find success in my classroom will help them learn what they need to do to be successful.

One More Thing…
Digital Ethics and Online Reputation

Throughout this past week of my Leadership in the Digital Age graduate course we have been talking about educators and how their online reputation can affect their classroom. I know this post is about reassessments but I do think that it is important to know that there are not redos when it comes to posting things online. This is something that I try to teach my students and I think it is something that educators must be aware of at all times. Once something is posted online you cannot take it back. Teachers are role models – even when they are sitting at home posting a comment on Facebook. My #1 piece of advice for all educators when posting online is to only post things that you would feel comfortable with your students reading aloud to your entire class. Nothing online is private and we must be aware of this at all times. So, before you post something online, make sure it is something you are comfortable with your students, colleagues, parents of students, school board members, and community members seeing. If you have to stop and think about it being appropriate, do not post it!

I am looking forward to writing a variety of different blog posts covering different instructional practices. Some possible blog topics are:

*Learning Targets – Providing a Purpose & Increasing Engagement
*Interactive Lectures – Doing Away With Sit & Get
*Retake Contracts – Keeping the Focus on Learning
*Technology Integration – Making it Meaningful
*Feedback Matters – What Do Former Students Have to Say?