Continuing on with our PIRATE journey, we are now heading into the second half of the word and onto the letter 'A'. In the PIRATE world, 'A' stands for 'Ask & Analyse'.
The 'Ask' part of this point ties in with the previous post on 'Rapport'. Dave Burgess stresses that it is important to ask the right questions from the beginning so that you can get to know your students and create effective lessons that are going to appeal to their needs and interests. Being able to connect with your students is your first stop to creating memorable learning experiences.
With a subject like Science, it is sometimes difficult to fit the latest TV show into a lesson, but being able to use things like Harry Potter as the context for our first Year 7 Science topics. It's amazing how, even in the years since the books and films popularity, that the love of Harry Potter is still there amongst the students in this age group. Some also haven't seen it, so it is important that Harry Potter does not become the subject matter, but simply a springboard to introduce it.
When it comes to the 'Analyse' bit Dave talks about how important it is to continually ask for feedback on your teaching and 'analyse' these responses in order to ensure that you are providing your students with the best possible educational experiences.
This is something that I attempt to do after every unit that I complete with my students. The wonderful thing about Google Forms means that I can create a simple form with basic questions and alter it according to the topic that was covered. Students are then able to answer these questions in their own time and the results are saved automatically in a Google Sheet. 'Forms' allows me to look at multiple choice answers in a graph like fashion to see if there are any trends in what the students are saying.
This helps me when planning for the future. If a class didn't enjoy a certain teaching style, I would try to change things up a little in the following unit and ask for feedback once it was over. I feel that since using these feedback forms on a regular basis, my teaching has become more appealing to my students as I have incorporated the ideas from previous students.
Another fun way to get your students to give you feedback is to get them to write you a report card like you do for them! It can sometimes be very interesting to read what they have to say about you in this way - sometimes it can be very uplifting, but other times it can be a real eye opener!!
Our school has a 'Snaps Box' initiative, which was taken from the 'Legally Blonde' movies where students put in sometime positive about other students. Last year a student (I still don't know who it was) put this amazing message in for me. I was so glad that the girls who look after the initiative gave it to me so I could keep it and be reminded of it every day :) It is always nice to get feedback (especially positive feedback) that is completely random and unprovoked!
The 'Ask' part of this point ties in with the previous post on 'Rapport'. Dave Burgess stresses that it is important to ask the right questions from the beginning so that you can get to know your students and create effective lessons that are going to appeal to their needs and interests. Being able to connect with your students is your first stop to creating memorable learning experiences.
With a subject like Science, it is sometimes difficult to fit the latest TV show into a lesson, but being able to use things like Harry Potter as the context for our first Year 7 Science topics. It's amazing how, even in the years since the books and films popularity, that the love of Harry Potter is still there amongst the students in this age group. Some also haven't seen it, so it is important that Harry Potter does not become the subject matter, but simply a springboard to introduce it.
When it comes to the 'Analyse' bit Dave talks about how important it is to continually ask for feedback on your teaching and 'analyse' these responses in order to ensure that you are providing your students with the best possible educational experiences.
This is something that I attempt to do after every unit that I complete with my students. The wonderful thing about Google Forms means that I can create a simple form with basic questions and alter it according to the topic that was covered. Students are then able to answer these questions in their own time and the results are saved automatically in a Google Sheet. 'Forms' allows me to look at multiple choice answers in a graph like fashion to see if there are any trends in what the students are saying.
This helps me when planning for the future. If a class didn't enjoy a certain teaching style, I would try to change things up a little in the following unit and ask for feedback once it was over. I feel that since using these feedback forms on a regular basis, my teaching has become more appealing to my students as I have incorporated the ideas from previous students.
Another fun way to get your students to give you feedback is to get them to write you a report card like you do for them! It can sometimes be very interesting to read what they have to say about you in this way - sometimes it can be very uplifting, but other times it can be a real eye opener!!
Our school has a 'Snaps Box' initiative, which was taken from the 'Legally Blonde' movies where students put in sometime positive about other students. Last year a student (I still don't know who it was) put this amazing message in for me. I was so glad that the girls who look after the initiative gave it to me so I could keep it and be reminded of it every day :) It is always nice to get feedback (especially positive feedback) that is completely random and unprovoked!
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