The end of the year is a time for reflection.

A time when we should look at the almost 10 months that have passed and truly be critical of our own teaching.  What was effective?  What would I do differently?  How can I improve next year?

Teachers are so lucky.  Every year we get to try something new!  Every year we can change our entire classroom based on the feedback we received the year before.

For me, the feedback I receive throughout the year from administrators is helpful, to a point.  They can provide me insight into a particular lesson they’ve observed or if they pop in for a walk-through, but if I’m looking for feedback based on the whole picture?  Feedback based on the entire year, the ins and outs of my teaching?  The ONLY people who know what really goes on behind my closed door is me and my students.  THEY are the ones whose feedback is the most important.

So instead of an end of year party, instead of playing games, my students spend the last day of the school year giving me feedback, and it is the most important activity I do.

I’ll set the scene:

Lights are dimmed.  Coffee house music is playing through the speakers. I am on my purple rolling chair seated at the front of the room with my legs crossed, holding a pile of loose leaf.  I welcome each student with eye contact, a smile, and a hello as they enter the room and take their seats.

Once the students are seated, I weave my tale.

“Every year, teachers get feedback.  We get feedback from all of the adults you see come and go in this classroom and some feedback from adults you have never seen.  Yes, some of this information is helpful, but they aren’t in here with us every day.  They don’t REALLY know what goes on inside this classroom: but you all do.  You are with me from September to June and know exactly what goes on; therefore, if I am looking to become better as a teacher, YOU are the best place to get feedback.”

I tell them they are going to handwrite me a letter.  

(We are a one-to-one school, but in my opinion, there is something more personal about actually penning the response.)

I tell them my birthday is mid-August, so when my birthday comes, as a kid, I knew it was officially time to do my summer reading, and as an adult, it’s time to really get serious about the new school year.  (Of course, I spend WAY more time than this prepping, but it helps set the stage).

I tell them the day after my birthday, I sit at my table, have a cup of coffee, and read their letters.

And this is true.  I do this every year.

I read their letters with a notebook in hand and write down any and everything that I think I can use in the upcoming school year.

I give them examples of changes I’ve made based on student suggestions from previous years – some of which are actually really good!

I ask them to take this seriously because I take my job seriously.  Then, I give them the outline.

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The letter must be in four sections:

Section One:  Something to Continue and WHY- I ask to students to be as specific as they can about exactly what I should keep doing for the next school year.  This could be curriculum-wise, classroom setup, even things I don’t even consider!  I’ve had responses ranging from a unit I should keep next year to a request to keep playing classical music during writing because it helped them concentrate.  Typically, the students will include multiple things in this section!  

Section Two:  Something I Should Change and WHY- This section is the most important.  This is something they think should be kept, but changed a bit.  As we transition to a one-to-one school, this section provides me with the most feedback.  The students made suggestions about how we can use the technology to do vocabulary differently and suggestions for independent practice.  Even when we didn’t have such a technology presence in the classroom, this section was valuable.  “Keep the essays, but do more short writings so we get more practice.” “Don’t spend too much time going over vocabulary homework.  It’s better when we just talk about the words.”  Those are the types of suggestions I am looking for!

Section Three: Something that Should be Added and WHY- Students are asked to tell me anything we didn’t cover this year that they wish we had done.  Sometimes they can’t think of anything, but a lot of times you see patterns.  For instance, this year, I spent much more time on writing based on my students needs, and though they were grateful for that, many students requested more reading time!  Patterns like that help me see what I should add into the curriculum for next year.

Section Four:  A Takeaway- We define the word “takeaway” together.  I tell them this is anything figurative you take with you upon leaving my class.  This is my favorite section!  Some students write content they learned.  “I have a better understanding of xyz.” But some students surprise me.  It truly is amazing what the kids pick up, and in this section, they can tell you.  Here are some excerpts from my letters this year:

“My biggest takeaway from your class is to not be afraid to express my opinion on controversial topics.”

“My biggest takeaway when I left the classroom every day would be that every time I left I had confidence.  I also left knowing I had learned something new.” (this was from a struggling student!)

“My biggest takeaway is to never give up.  When I was getting my grades up, you believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself.”

These are things I wouldn’t have known had I not done this assignment.

Reading these letters before going back to school catapults me back into the world of teaching.  Even now, just reading those excerpts puts me right there in the classroom with those kids.  I can reflect on how I handled certain situations, how I structured my classroom and units, and truly work on improving my craft!

I hope you integrate this idea into your own classroom because I have found it to be beneficial in so many ways!