Blog #15

Offer opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning and set goals for improvement.  I know, I know…one more thing to take up precious class time.  But I do believe that this one is worth a few minutes.  Students are not naturally good at setting goals, checking in on those goals, and then reflecting about those goals after they are met, or after a deadline when they are still unmet.  This skill is one that we need to invest some time in.  We need to teach students how to set effective goals, how to periodically assess their progress on the goal, and how to adjust their behaviors when they face stagnation.  This week I offer a couple of concrete tools to make goal-setting and reflection a realistic expectation in the math classroom. 

End-of-Chapter Reflections

I am offering two examples of a goals/reflection tool that you can use at the end of each chapter or unit.  It is a logical point at which to pause and ask students to assess how their learning is going, or how they are progressing on their goals.

• Online version:  This Google Form is the survey students complete after each chapter.  If you click on the link, you will be prompted to make a copy.  Then you can easily modify this to edit, add or delete questions depending on that you want students to focus on from the chapter.  Responses are fairly easy for you to track on the corresponding spreadsheet, and you can sort the responses according to class block or certain responses.

• Paper version:  This is a PDF document that I created on Canva.  It contains nearly the same questions as the online version.  Since this is a pdf, you will need to make your own version if you want to change any questions from chapter to chapter.  The benefit, though, is that it forces students to write their responses instead of type, which may help them remember what they have committed to work on.  The paper version is easier for students to refer back to, whether to remind themselves of the goal they set, or to chart their progress over several chapters.  If you are using this version, I recommend providing a folder for each student to file these papers in the classroom so that they do not get misplaced throughout the semester/year.  (I usually keep their assessments in these folders as well.)

If you have a moment, please open one of these two resources, as I would like to explain a bit about how I designed this survey, and ways you may want to use it or edit it. 

• Section 1:  In the online version, this is general information to identify the student.  Just remember to change the numbers on the chapters if you are going to be specific.  You can reduce the list of class periods to only the ones when you have class.  In the paper version, this is just the lines at the top of the first page of the reflection

• Section 2 – First Semester Goal:  Since this example is for the end of Chapter 1, this section/page is designed to guide students in setting a goal for the semester.  I like to do this at the end of Chapter 1 instead of the very beginning of the year because the students have a better understanding of the expectations at this point.  It may take students that first chapter to identify what they need to work on to improve in a certain area.  I prefer using a semester instead of a full year because it is long enough to give them time to accomplish something, and short enough to keep it a priority in their minds.  In subsequent chapters, I would change this section into a checkpoint with questions like:

  • • What is your goal for this semester?  (Ask students to restate it to keep it fresh for them, and easier for you to reference in the responses.)

    • How do you feel you have progressed with this goal during this last chapter?  (Can make this a linear scale rating on the Google form, or a facial expression rating on the paper version.)

    • What do you need to do during the next chapter to continue making progress?  May be something you need to continue or may be something that you need to recommit to.

• Section 3 – Reflection of Academic Performance:  I like to separate academic performance and learning behaviors.  I start by asking them how their results compared to what they expected, and why.  This helps to identify students who consistently think they will get better results and are frustrated.  It also helps to know if a “poor score” is what the student expected because they did not properly prepare.  The conversation about a low result is very different with a student who expected it than it is with a student who is working hard and expecting better.  The rest of the questions in this section work on the assumption that students will answer honestly.  Not all do, but it still provides some data if conversations are needed later.  These questions also provide feedback for me as the teacher.  If a majority of students respond that the amount of assigned practice is too much, then I can consider some adjustments to make it more manageable.  The final question is intentionally open-ended so that students can tell me whatever they want.  It is not required because they don’t have to tell me anything, but by asking, I am sending the message that I am here to support them and I want them to succeed.

• Section 4 – Reflection of Learning Behaviors:  This is the section where I ask students to consider their behaviors.  The rating list is one that I have used in my classes before.  This could also be a list of norms or behaviors that you agreed upon as a class at the beginning of the year.  The idea is to help students understand that their success is not solely based on their innate ability.  There are things that they can do to increase their chances for success, and it is beneficial to ask them how they are doing in those behaviors once in a while.  At one of my schools, we gave learning behavior ratings as part of the report card, so I had an additional question asking student to rate themselves in those three domains.  Again, this keeps the expectations in the forefront of their minds and reminds them that this is part of their report card.  After the ratings, I ask them in which area they feel they have done well (celebrate) and in which area they could improve for next chapter (growth).  Final question is another chance to let me know anything they want to tell be about how class is going and is not required.

• Section 5 & 6: I included these sections because my recent schools have been transitioning to Standards Based Learning, Grading and Reporting.  Part of that philosophy is to allow retakes of summative assessments.  Personally, I believe that if I have offered formative opportunities to practice and receive feedback on all of the standards that will be assessed on the summative, then students should not get an automatic retake.  However, there are circumstances for which a retake is warranted.  So, I included these sections on the reflection survey as a way for students to “make their case” initially.  Section 5 basically asks if they think they should be allowed a retake.  If they choose “no”, then they are finished and the survey is submitted.  If they click “yes”, then they are taken to section 6 to provide more information about why.  I do allow students to retest on specific standards, so I have a question where they can choose the standard they are concerned about.  (I would insert the actual standards for the chapter here.)  Students are still expected to schedule a meeting with me to discuss the situation, but they have a chance to think and write it out on the survey first.  The link is to a free website I use to schedule student appointments, if you are interested.  (I did not include these sections on the paper version, but you certainly could add something similar.)

Depending on the time allowed, I will give students 15 minutes or so to complete this in class, or will ask them to complete it on their own as “homework”.  The first couple of reflections may be more beneficial to do in person so that you can ensure everyone is completing it.  I also recommend that you follow up with students as needed about their goals.  If they are too vague or too unreasonable, students should be encouraged to rewrite the goals to meet the SMART criteria.

End-of-Project Reflections

Another place I think deserves a little reflection time is at the end of a group project.  This reflection is not as focused on a particular goal, aside from the goal of working well as a group.  😊  Providing the survey as a Google Form gives students a private, low-stress opportunity to reflect on how the members of the group worked together.  (Again, you can click the link and make your own copy to edit.)  If there was an issue, students can express their concerns without losing face with their friends or classmates.  Notice that after asking for the names of the members in the group, the first questions ask the student to reflect on their own contributions to the project.  Students need to realize that it’s not always an issue with someone else, but that they have a role to play in the success of their team.  By asking them about themselves first, they are more likely to be gracious with their teammates.  There are two questions for each member:  What did you contribute?  And if you could redo the project, what would you do (or suggest to do) differently?  Finally, I ask them to rate their group as a whole.  I have designed this survey  for a group of 3, but it could be expanded to include more team members.  If you have uneven groups, then make the last teammate’s name and questions not required. 

A word of caution as the teacher:  take the student responses with a grain of salt.  Sometimes Student A just doesn’t like Student B and will say negative things about them.  If they are the only one in the group who says those things about Student B, especially if everyone else is making positive comments, then I would not put as much stock in Student A’s response.  But I also would not reprimand Student A for the comments unless hugely inappropriate.  Student A has the right to feel how they feel.  We just need to know when to intervene and when to let it be.  Trust your gut, if you feel you need to get involved, then do so with kindness, gentleness and understanding.

Hope these are helpful, use-them-tomorrow resources that you can incorporate into your classes.  Reflection and self-assessment is a valuable tool that students today desperately need as the adults of tomorrow.  Help them to see this skill as a way to make progress and accomplish dreams, not to record failures.  As Fitzhugh Dodson once said, “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”  Let’s help students reach their destinations, inside our math class and beyond.  Have a great week!!