We want school to be a place where kids feel like they belong, feel challenged and a place kids want to be but sometimes it can feel like we only hear whining or like kids are telling us what they think we want to hear. I have been trying to find ways to get to what kids really think and want from their school day and in the process help them understand the purpose or learning happening in the systems we have in place. One thing I noticed when I was co-teaching was that my students seemed more willing to share, give feedback or express concern or even dislike. It was like if there were two of us then it was not as hurtful. Maybe they told Mrs. Wolhart something in reading groups that she reported to me and we could brainstorm ideas together to make changes or address concerns. Or when kids are getting emotional during a math game I was able to take one student aside and really talk it through while the lesson continued. Just another perk of co-teaching. The thing is, this year I am not co-teaching, at least not in the way I did in the past and I don’t feel like my students are as forthcoming with feedback so I was looking for ways to kind of ease them into feeling safe and secure giving feedback even if it was negative.
So enter TikTok - I came across this TikTok Video and thought I would try it. I liked how simple it was, just three questions and fairly open ended. I decided to turn it into a google slide like this one: Retrospective for directions and a Google Form for student responses.
For younger kids you could do it with the whole group or even have other adults in the class facilitate the discussion if you thought the kids might be more honest. I talked with the students about why I wanted their feedback, talked about the differences between constructive, honest feedback and being unnecessarily mean. The other step that I think is important in this is coming back to the students with some ideas for next steps.
We have done three retrospectives so far this year and each time I feel like students are feeling more comfortable and honest. Digging deeper and not just telling me what they think I want to hear. After I look through their thoughts and feedback I have just discussed my findings and talked about which things we can change, add or stop right away. Which things we have to keep and why, thoughts about how to make changes, etc. This last time I did the follow up in a second Google Form like this.
Some other articles that might be helpful:
How to run class retrospectives with students | Mural
Three Retrospectives We Love for Reflecting on Return Planning - Education Elements
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