MANSW 2013 Presentation

A quick post for those wanting to see a copy of my presentation this morning at MANSW. Thanks to all who attended and gave such enthusiastic support - all the more so given it was 9AM on Sunday morning after a very late night conference dinner!

Three tools: The ABQuiz, the Tracking Sheet, the Feedback Form
September 15, 2013
MANSW 2013 Conference, Terrigal.

Google docs - free download:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByVkChxwrC4DTUJfWnpEU21Hb00/edit?usp=sharing

Links to the Feedback Form tools:
Feedback Form template (Word doc)
Feedback Form analysis (Excel spreadsheet)

Read it now in Scribd:

MANSW 2013 Presentation: Three Tools by enzuber

The wisdom of Year 7 : thinking about groups

It's been nearly a year now since I changed my classroom configuration from rows to groups:

Overall I'm very pleased with the results - it's working for almost every class. The one class where I have wondered if I should revert to rows have begged me not to - challenging me to think more deeply about my classroom management for this class - I'm working on it! But there is no looking back now. These insightful comments from my Year 7 students, given as anonymous student feedback, reveal the benefits and challenges of setting up group tables.

Group Table Configuration : The Good

"Helps with learning because always someone u can ask 4 help"

"You can ask for help when the teacher is busy"

The group configuration helps deal with the challenge of answering questions from thirty students at once. Sometimes the group may come up with the wrong answer - but I rarely see this happen and am much more likely to detect any misconceptions if four students share them. What I do see on many occasions is students debating the answer, and they will ask for help if they aren't sure of their answer.

"Interesting learning from different perspectives"

Students discover how their peers view and understand the content - enriching their own understanding, and providing opportunities to develop metacognition : becoming aware how knowledge is obtained and processed.

"Let's me compare my answers and help people"

A powerful gift to offer to students : creating an environment for helping each other - developing generosity. One of my four pillars from the Circle of Courage.

"It helps cos if u don't understand something and 2 shy 2 ask u can ask ur friends" 
Wow! How many students are held back because of this? A powerful insight on how a group table structure can help overcome emotional, personal and social barriers to learning.

"No need to be a loner - there are people around to help and support"
"Being alone is lonely"
How can we know the emotional needs of all students - let alone be able to help thirty students? Sitting students together, supporting them during class time to be together may just turn out be very important to some students who might be alone at other times. I was moved to read these comments.

Group Table Configuration: The Bad
"I would like to sit with different people"
I'm still uncertain if it's best to organise students or let them self-select groups. I worry about bullying and social exclusion, allowing students to set up hierarchies "you are in my group, you aren't". For now my answer is I assign the groups for Year 7 and Year 8 - and consider any problems on a case by case basis. A part of me also thinks it's important I maintain control of the seating.  Any ideas welcome!

"I can never see the board properly"
Ouch. This is the biggest issue  - and I think it's serious - especially since perhaps 30% of my lesson time is whole class instruction. Research that argues for sitting in rows claims this is the major problem with the group configuration. There are four seats in my configuration where this is a problem. I wish my classroom was wider to optimise the layout, but some tables don't get a good view of the board. I'm now going to establish it as a norm that those four students to turn their chairs to face the board during whole class instruction.

"Sometimes people just give you the answer"
An insightful comment from one student! Group configuration discourages solitary work - which is essential at times - and allows for students to just give each other answers. I often use an A/B/C/D paper approach to ensure each student at the group table has a different set of problems to work on - getting help has to be real help, not answers. But time doesn't always permit this, and if we are using the textbook, they are working on the same questions. I think I will need to be more explicit with students about ways of helping to maximise the learning.

Something not mentioned in the feedback is groups can encourage off-task behaviour and conversation. Fortunately with this class, that's not a problem - when they do go off-task (they are students!) they respond quickly  to my request to get back to mathematics. This isn't the case with all my classes - more on that in another post.

The Verdict?
Unquestionably (for me) : Yes. The learning and social benefits are so high, it's worth persisting to deal with, or minimise the down sides.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the comments next week from the class where I am having some class management issues will compare to those quoted above.

Note: My student feedback forms have an Opt-In indicator "Tick if you are OK for these comments to be shared with others". The forms themselves are completely anonymous, allowing for students to give me frank feedback without concern for any consequences.

The gravest sin : favouritism

"You're a great teacher, but you have one problem - you have favourites"

When I read this feedback in the anonymous survey forms from five students I was shocked and disturbed - favouritism is one of the worst things a teacher can do - it distorts and poisons the classroom. What surprised me was that a teacher could have favourites without really being conscious of it. But I knew it must be true when so many students had written this in their feedback. 

It didn't take me long to realise the root cause : as a new teacher with a great class, I've made the mistake of not imposing a strict 'hands-up' rule during whole class discussion - with the consequences that a group of (well intentioned) students have dominated these sessions by calling out. And so week after week, the quieter students at the back of the class have been watching silently, building up the idea I preferred the ones in the front. Did I have favourites? I may not have thought so, but it surely worked out that way.

There's nothing for it when you get feedback like this - an immediate apology is required. I shared with the class my distress at having made this teaching mistake and apologised.  I thanked them for their trust and openness with me - and how grateful I was that they helped me be aware of this problem with my teaching. I was careful to put the blame where it rested - on me - and not on those students thought to be the favourites. I made a committment on their behalf to do better with my classes next year.  By small way of recompense - and as a test for myself to see if I could do it -  I made up a set of thirty "Thank You" cards and wrote a personalised comment to each student, taking care to demonstrate through the comments that I had indeed noticed what they had contributed to the class during the year. 

I'm so grateful my students gave me this feedback, and I really do believe the only reason they told me was because I collected anonymous feedback from them several times throughout the year. Without this framework and trust, students would never have dared tell a teacher about this until it was too late. Without the feedback, I could have blissfully continued unaware making the same mistake for years - building up a reservoir of hurt and misunderstanding along the way.

Was it all bad feedback from this class? Not at all :-)  Overall, the students really enjoyed the year and gave lots of positive feedback and encouragement. But as always - the most valuable feedback is the one that helps you see what didn't see before - appreciate the positive feedback, but it's the uncomfortable feedback that pays the biggest dividend.

Reaching the end of term for 2011? Try some anonymous student feedback - you will be amazed what you discover! Take the plunge - you will never regret it. Every time something special  happens - for the teacher and for the students. See my post on getting student feedback for templates and some suggestions. 

So what can I do better next time to avoid favouritism?

• Use the "hands-down/paddle-pop stick" system for asking questions. I had actually done this for the first month with this class but as we got more comfortable dropped it. Bad decision.
• Enforce "hands-up" for when students want to ask questions. How silly I feel writing this down - it's Teaching 101. I thought I didn't need to do this for this class - they were such enthusiastic students and it felt too authoritarian. Wow did that idealism bite me back!
• Split up or move dominant groups to a less prominent position in the classroom.
• Ask myself : have I visited each group table during this period? Have I asked them questions? Have I given them some of my time today?

Blah blah blah blah .... teacher's voice, student voice

I sort of knew something was coming my way as I handed out the end of term student feedback forms to my Year 9 students:

There was a gentle warning a week earlier when a student handed me this drawing of her impression of my teaching:

A bit hard to explain all the references in this picture.  We have been using a 'save the unicorn' motif (that's a future post) and Justin B. makes regular appearances in topic tests.  "Slow down Mr Zuber" is a sign I made for students they can wave at me any time as a safe way to show they don't understand what I'm explaining.  Thanks to L. for allowing me to share this - and extra thanks for making me look thinner, younger and sort of cool!

And yes - I got some pretty harsh feedback from my students.  While I'm getting good scores on the understanding and the difficulty questions, the percentage of students who are enjoying the class has dropped from around 75% in Term 2 to 50% in Term 3.  No-one is 'hating' yet, but nearly 40% said 'it was OK' - which isn't OK by me. There were also some pretty rough comments in the free text responses. I am indeed talking too much, and not giving them enough quality time to work on their own or with each other, but I'm also getting push back for not using the textbook enough, or doing enough exercises from the book - my 'weird activities' just don't feel like 'real maths' to many in this class. Beyond my own limitations as a new teacher talking too much, I hadn't effectively communicated to the class the reasons why I was doing problem solving and reason activities at the cost of doing less skills based lessons.

Fortunately I had two days to reflect on the feedback before seeing the class again, which gave me time to think more deeply about it - and get over the ego hit :-) I showed the feedback to my head teacher, who also gave me support and encouragement.

So after sharing  feedback with the class, here's the commitment I made to them today:

I realised in my eagerness to help everyone understand the content, I was doing way too much whole-class discussion (to be honest - that's mostly them asking questions and me talking) and this was getting in the way of learning for many students.  So I've resolved to do something about that. Less teaching, more learning. I also started the process today of being more explicit about why we are doing problem solving and reasoning activities, helping students understand why this is just as much 'real maths' as is doing skills exercises from the text book.

The real story I want to share is the value of asking for anonymous student feedback and then responding to it. Don't miss the opportunity - it can be scary sometimes - but it can be very rewarding for you and your class. So many teachable moments - demonstrating to your students your trust in them and the fact that you too are a learner.  It will be challenging at times, and you may well discover that a class you thought was going just fine is actually hiding some discontent, but you will be so glad you took the risk to hear the student voice.

Practicalities

Here's some key tips for getting student feedback:

• Make it very clear the feedback is anonymous. Repeat many times to students they must not write their names on the form.  You don't even want to know who is giving you 'nice' comments. Stay away from the students as they fill it in, and ask a student to collect up the folded forms.  Treat the responses confidentially. A recent addition I made to my form is to have an opt-in tick box in the comments area to ask students permission to share their comments - sometimes they may not want to.
• Share the results with your class as soon as possible - preferably the next time you see them. This shows you take their feedback seriously. Show you can accept - or at least are prepared to  consider negative feedback - and that you are not embarrassed to share this with the class.  Don't allow students to attack negative feedback given by other students - reinforce you accept the negative feedback - even if you don't necessarily agree with - the feedback is valid for the students who gave it - it is what they think and feel.
• Try not to be defensive. If you remain open, there is a good chance you will hear more detailed explanations of the feedback and prompt further discussion. So example today I found out the comment 'GeoGebra is boring' really meant 'You haven't really showed us how to use GeoGebra'.

Want to read more? See my earlier post Putting student voice into practice, which includes links to some resources to make doing student feedback quick and painless.

Would you like 2 yaks or 3 yaks with that test?

I took a (small) risk last week and tried something different for our Year 8 Algebra test. I'm calling it the "2-Yak/3-Yak test". The idea in a nutshell: students choose the level of difficulty of the test.

Each section of the test provides questions grouped into level of difficulty indicated by the number of yaks. Students were required to do the 2-Yak column, and then for each section choose between the 1-Yak or the 3-Yak column. If students selected the 2-Yak/3-Yak combo, they would automatically get the marks for the 1-Yak questions. I suggested to students that if they wanted to do the 3-Yak questions but thought they might be too hard, to just do the 1-Yak/2-Yak, move on to the next section - and then at the end, if they had more time, go back and try some 3-Yak questions.

So why do this? And what did the students think?

Year 7: Children or Young Adults?

The final in a series of reflections about my first time experiences teaching a Year 7 mathematics class.

While the end-of-term survey showed that most of my Year 7 are enjoying or at least tolerating maths (let's be honest, many students don't like maths), some unexpected feedback appeared in the comments from several students: "Treat us like Year 7 instead of 5 year olds". When I first read this feedback I wondered if students were referring to the "fun lessons" we've been doing - which do sometimes look like primary school activities, even though they explore Year 7 content, but then I realised the comments probably reflected something deeper.

Is it possible I've been treating my Year 7 like small children without being aware of it?

How old is Spongebob Squarepants?  Spongebob definitely isn't a child - he sat his
 driving test 58 times.  Age estimates range from 13 to "50 sponge years".
And yes - my Year 7 class is slightly chaotic!

On the last day of term, I presented the summary of the feedback to the class and asked them, if they didn't mind, to help me understand the comments. They seemed surprised to see critical comments about my teaching so openly presented, but were keen to explain.  At first some students mentioned they found the maths too easy and that made it childish, but then some students told me that sometimes I talk down to them - and that opened the conversation up - clearly most students felt I was treating them like little kids.  I think it must have taken some courage to tell me this to my face and I'm very grateful to them. And they probably are right. Sometimes I take too much pleasure in the childish aspects of Year 7 - and play to it.  (Frustrated primary school teacher?) I asked the students: "So what should I do to treat you more like Year 7?"  I treasure the response: "Do what you're doing now - talk to us like this". I think it was the first time these students had seen a teacher share student feedback with them - and they were quite surprised how open I was to discussing how I could improve. And in return, they were being very mature in helping me understand their feedback.

So are Year 7 children or young adults? I think the answer is both - they have the amazing ability to be both childish and mature at the same time. Adding to the confusion is the wide range of physical size, behaviour and mathematical skill across the class. Then throw in the fact you've maybe just come from teaching a Year 11 class, where students are so much older - it's easy to get confused.  I'm guessing for the Year 7 students, who are going through the messy transition process from being the 'big kids' at primary school to the 'little kids' at high school, having a teacher talk down to you is not helpful. They want to feel they are in the adult world now.

I'm resolved next term to act as if my Year 7 class are all young adults - not children. And for the times they act more like children - well, I'll remember that last day of Term 1 when we talked together as adults about what constitutes good teaching.

I can't overstate how valuable getting student feedback on your teaching can be. See my post on Student Voice for details how I do it in ways to encourage constructive feedback and protect student anonymity, along with some resources you may wish to use for your own student surveys.

Year 7 Maths : Extreme Differentiation Needed?

This post is the second in a series of reflections on my first experience of teaching a Year 7 mathematics class.

I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but it's taken me almost ten weeks to realise the extreme variation of mathematical ability in my Year 7 class. I knew there were differences across students, but underestimated just how wide that range is. What made the scales drop from my eyes? A second round of summative assessment (topic tests) and feedback from the end of term anonymous class survey. And I don't think there's anything different in my Year 7 class to any other Year 7 class in a comprehensive school.

Staggering mathematical bio-diversity in Year 7!
© David Hall seaphotos.com Used with permission.

Here's an extract from the survey that demonstrates the challenge:

I've never seen such variation in any class I've surveyed in the past - and the student self-reported feedback matches the most recent round of test results - which ranged from 3/30 to 30/30. How devastating to self-confidence must it be to receive 3/30? I don't buy any argument this will encourage them to "try harder" - especially since "try harder" just won't help when the content and skills are so far ahead of where the student is now.

In a follow up session I explored this with the class and confirmed that the more mathematically advanced students are getting frustrated and feel like they are being treated like babies (the math is too easy), and that other students are struggling - which may explain some of the work avoidance patterns beginning emerge. Looking at primary school records (something I recommend all high school teachers do for their Year 7 students - and wish I had done earlier) revealed a vast range of difference in mathematics learning outcomes - some students have already mastered Year 7 outcomes (through tutoring?) and others are still mastering early Primary School mathematics.

Looking ahead, I'm thinking it's time to implement an SBG approach to assessment (as with my Year 8 class), but even that isn't enough: extreme differentiation is called for!  I've asked many experienced teaches for advice and here's what I'm going to try out next term:

Extreme Differentiation: Ideas for Term 2

• Design a pre-topic diagnostic that indicates student readiness for this topic. I've come to realise I need to design my own diagnostic test - the standard "Are you ready?" diagnostics in the textbooks aren't always up to scratch!
• Communicate the result of the pre-topic diagnostic for this topic to the student. I'm keeping in mind that a student who is not ready for, say, algebra, may well be ready for geometry.
• Keep a copy of the pre-topic diagnostic on file. I need to be able to justify why I offered this student the option to work on different, easier material.
• Differentiate the topic into three levels: Essentials, Development and Challenge. The Essentials level will also include material from earlier 'stages' of mathematics (ie: some primary school material).  I'm considering using an easier text book for the Essentials material.
• Course material will contain a level indicator: one star for Essentials, two stars for Development, three stars for Challenge. Each lesson and each assessment tool will offer students material at each level.
• Offer students the option to select the level they want to work at in the topic. I believe most students will make the appropriate choice. More advanced students will be able to skip the Essentials and go straight to Development and Challenge. Of course I'll be watching for what happens, and encourage students making the wrong choice to consider the alternatives.
• Class summative assessments will report marks for each level the student attempted.

In the final post of this series, I'll consider the question  "Year 7: Children or Young Adults?"

Where did that elephant come from?

And I swear I did not discuss the Mathematical Elephant with my class....

Putting student voice into practice

Something I find incredibly valuable for my teaching practice is to regularly seek anonymous student appraisal of my teaching.

Student Survey Form - download available

Asking students to critique your teaching is scary - and doubly so when you are a new teacher - or worse - a student teacher! On my first practicum, I only dared survey my senior students - but very soon I realised just how valuable the exercise was, I threw caution to the wind and even did it with my most junior and most challenging classes. I have never regretted this decision.  

For maximum impact, present the results to your class the very next lesson -
 and make sure there are some good critical suggestions on display
 - don't be afraid to show you are still learning!

Some important things I've learnt over the last two years about student surveys:

• Emphasise the survey is anonymous and you want to receive honest feedback - "if you're not happy or concerned about the class or my teaching, this is a great time to tell me".
• Keep repeating "Don't write your name" while the students are doing the survey - it's a strong instinct. Some students may actually want to be identified and put little identifying marks on their paper - discourage this, otherwise you only hear the nice feedback.
• Get a student to collect the folded forms, ask them to mix them up before giving to you. Make a bit of show of this - to emphasise you cannot track back the students. Do not leave forms on desk for others to read.
• Aggregate the feedback and make sure it contains genuine criticism and suggestions for improvement.
• Share the aggregated results with the class the NEXT lesson - they really appreciate it - especially if you share critical comments and discuss what you learned. Students are usually stunned to see a teacher discuss critical comments about their teaching - it's a special moment - enjoy it.
• Don't show the individual forms to anyone - sometimes students say unkind things about other teachers or say things that may look like you are ego-tripping  - shred the forms immediately after collating data. Only share the aggregated data.

What's missing? It's important to be aware this information  is student self-reported views on what they have learnt. To complete the picture, you also need to assess what they understood - and that's where a regular dose of diagnostic quizzes - perhaps aligned to an SBG strategy - come in.  Something I've not done before - and will try - is to see how the overall student perceived understanding compares to the overall student outcomes!

By seeking student views and acting on them, we demonstrate to students through our actions that learning is a continuous process - even for the teacher.

Update [April 2011] Student Feedback in action:  See how feedback from my Year 7 class gave me valuable information about the need to offer greater differentiation and forced me to consider if I was perhaps treating them like children instead of young adults.

Update [Dec 2011] Student Opt-In  The student feedback template has been updated to add an "opt-in" box to allow students to give permission (or not) for you to share their anonymous comments with others. Since I advocate sharing the feedback with the class it's right and proper to get consent - even if the form is anonymous. Sometimes the comments are personal and students would be uncomfortable for them to be shared.

Mr Zuber's Student Feedback Kit

Step 1. Copy the student feedback template. The template is two forms per A4 sheet - just photocopy enough for the class and guillotine in half.  This takes 15 mins. Less if you are already at the photocopier.

Step 2. Explain to the students what you are doing - emphasise the survey is anonymous and you are genuinely interested in their views. 5 min conversation the first time you do it. 2 mins the second time.

Step 3. Give students time to fill out the form.  They are usually done in 5 mins. 

Step 4. Have a student collect the folded forms, shuffle them and give to you.  5 mins.

Step 5. Collate the data using the Student Feedback Excel template - tally in the scores, summarise the comments.  The Excel template makes charts ready for presentation.  30 mins max for a whole class once you know how.

Step 6. Present the data back to the class ASAP. I normally post on edmodo the same night, then display the charts on a data projector to the class the next day - with  short discussion of what I learned, and see what the class thinks of any new ideas I might have as a result of the survey. 15 mins

Rinse and repeat once every three to fours months.