Designing a Survey to better connect with Students

The importance of positive student connections cannot be overstated. Students who feel encouraged are more likely to participate in learning and get higher academic results.

Show up early for the classroom and remain a little longer to talk with students and answer their queries. Learn the names of the pupils. Inquire about the students’ experiences with the course material. Make yourself available to students and urge them to connect with you during work hours after or during class.

Strong relationships with instructors and school personnel may significantly boost students’ motivation and, as a result, encourage learning. Students that have more solid relationships have more academic engagement, better social skills, and exhibit more good conduct.

11 Student Survey Do’s And Don’ts

1. Do Inquire about the pupils’ pronouns and preferred names.

It’s vital to ask for pronouns because it indicates that you care about and respect your kids’ identities. We give the message that appearances matter the most when we make sexist assumptions and pronouns. In addition, the more we seek pronouns, the more popular the behavior becomes.

It’s also crucial to inquire about the pupils’ preferred names. Some kids, especially transgender students, will use a name that differs from the one listed on your roster. Speaking on the first day is a great way to show respect.

Make sure to address them by their given name and pronouns. If you make an error, apologize and make the necessary corrections.

2. Don’t: Make pronouns a multiple-choice question with a mandatory response.

You’re inclined to leave someone out if you have kids select from a list of pronouns. Choosing an “other” choice doesn’t completely alleviate the problem because it is “other” pupils who don’t see themselves represented. Furthermore, some kids might be hesitant to come over to you. If this is the case, they may want to avoid using pronouns altogether. Invite people to share, but don’t make them give up any information they don’t want to.

3. Take action: Respond to the questions on your own.

Responding to the survey questions directly in the survey text is an excellent approach to expose your flaws while also modeling how the queries should be answered. “I use she/her pronouns,” for example. “How do you utilize pronouns?” Students will come to know you, and even if they don’t understand pronouns, they’ll get a sense of the kinds of replies you’re looking for.

4. Don’t: Inquire about things you wouldn’t want to know about yourself.

It’s important to inquire about names and pronouns, but you usually don’t need to know more precise specifics to educate your kids. You probably don’t need to know about a student’s dating status, for example.

5. Do Ask open-ended inquiries to learn about the kids’ beliefs and priorities.

You can gain a glimpse of what your pupils spend the majority of their mental strength on by asking one easy question. “When you woke up this morning, what was the first thing that sprang to mind?” This inquiry is playful, yet it may provide crucial insight into what matters most to your students.

6. Don’t: Only enquire about important matters.

Teachers should ask some “fun” questions, according to the GSA. It might be stressful to take a poll about one’s identity, especially on the first day of school. Keep the conversation light by asking questions about their personality, interests, and hobbies.

7. Ask questions to discover more about how they learn.

Every teacher has to gather information regarding learning, especially if we wish to differentiate successfully. Students, on the other hand, may find answering questions regarding learning to be tedious or difficult. Ask these questions in a way that encourages students to think about specific learning experiences they’ve experienced.

“What was the last thing you learned outside of school, and how did you learn it?” is one of my favorite ways to phrase this topic. This method of phrasing allows students to contribute something about themselves while also giving you insight into how they study best.

8. Do Give pupils the option of providing you with extra personal details if they so choose.

Students will be able to offer you a wide range of extra information if you end with a question like “Is there anything more I need to know to help you?” By wording the question generically, you invite all students to participate, and they can reply with whatever requirements are most important to them, irrespective of how they are classified by society.

9. Don’t Make every inquiry need a response.

I’ve dealt with several kids who have suffered trauma, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community who have endured trauma due to their identity. You can unwittingly offer an anxiety-inducing question on your survey. Allow kids to answer, but don’t interrogate them if they don’t.

10. Do ascertain that the pupils are aware that you have read the survey.

Make a point of thanking each kid for participating in the survey and commenting about something they wrote.

11. Don’t act like you pay no attention to their answers.

Adults sometimes dismiss things like “favorite music” or “nickname” as insignificant. These seemingly insignificant details can be crucial to our pupils’ sense of self. Use these “little” ways to get in touch with your students daily.

More importantly, major issues such as pronouns must be overlooked. When we misgender our students, we deprive them of their individuality and, as a result, we lose our capacity to fully assist them. You should not think that a pupil is attempting to make a joke if they mention pronouns that you don’t anticipate for them. Students seldom make light of the situation. If a kid writes pronouns that aren’t anticipated, they may have never been asked for them before.

About the article