It’s no secret that many teachers employ back-to-school student surveys to get to know their new students. But, did you know that these surveys are good for more than just breaking the ice? It’s true! Student surveys have the power to inform your teaching strategies, from planning and development to grading and beyond.
How Can a Student Survey Shape My Teaching?
Student surveys can shape every aspect of your lesson plan, from ideation to feedback.
They can help you:
- Understand students’ individual learning styles
- Discover what makes each student feel secure and confident
- Differentiate learning strategies for each student
- Help students set unique goals for their own learning journey
- Empower students to take ownership of their education
And so much more.
Making a Student Survey
Selecting Questions
When making a student survey, there are several key points you’ll want to consider. Are there key data points you need for your specific subject, such as what kinds of books your students prefer for an English class or what technology they have access to at home for a tech class? Are there any demographically-based questions you should avoid to prevent offense or discomfort? How can you progress your line of questioning to build trust and relieve anxiety? Plan a mix of fun questions and helpful ones to make this an engaging activity for your entire class, while also gathering the data you need!
Building Your Survey
Now comes the fun part! Building your student survey can be as labor-intensive or not as you want it to be. You may choose to build your own template via Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or even Canva. Or you can find a template online and customize it to fit your unique classroom needs.
Here is a super basic example I whipped up on Canva! You can edit and download it here.
Using Student Surveys to Shape Your Lesson Plan
Understand Student Learning Styles
First and foremost, student surveys can help you gain a better understanding of your students’ unique personalities and learning styles. Some students may respond better to factual data while others respond better to narrative storytelling. Gathering information about their preferences can help you understand who they are as developing people, allowing you to interact with more familiarity sooner in the school year.
Create Differentiated Learning Paths
You can also determine what interests or motivates students through their preferences. If a student plays on an athletic team and tends to like movies about teamwork and leadership, they might do well working with a team of like-minded students, whereas a student who is interested in art-related subjects may like to work on a diorama or other creative project. Plus, by asking what students typically need help with, either in class or when working on homework, you can preemptively come up with a plan to better support them!
Build a Classroom Community
When you start an open line of communication for feedback and help requests in your classroom, you begin a more positive and beneficial student-teacher relationship. You’ll be able to better understand students’ backgrounds, interests, and more, to build relationships faster and more effectively than ever before.
Enhance Student Engagement
Empower students to advocate for themselves and take ownership of their education by posing questions that make them think about their own learning styles and motivations. For older students, you might even consider pairing this with a Skills Finder Assessment or other tool to help them discover more about themselves. For all ages, you can even use student surveys as a way to set goals for the semester or the school year — just remember to follow up and help students stay on track!
What are some ways you plan to use student surveys in your classroom this year? Let me know in the comments below!