Receiving Feedback From Students and Parents

Receiving Feedback From Students and Parents

Collecting feedback from both students and parents are an integral

part of building a learning program that best serves the school.

Teachers can use feedback to modify their strategies, methods or

content or use feedback to gain an idea of where a student sees

him/herself

There are moves towards designing and "modifying reporting systems to

more effectively communicate what students are learning and how well

they are learning." (Lake, K & Kafka , K, 1996, p. 90) There are

numerous and varied reporting and assessing systems being implemented

all over the United States, but it should be noted that most new

methods encourage a more parent and student feedback and/or

involvement focus. An example of one such approach is being

implemented in Mountainview Elementary School.

In Mountainview Elementary School, West Virginia, the entire reporting

system was revised and replaced with a more parent involved approach.

Parents were fully informed about the new reporting system before

implementation and several questions and answer seminars were held to

attend to any queries or concerns that parents may have had. Progress

reports were sent home but opportunities for parent and teacher

conferences, both before and after the issue of the reports, were

strongly encouraged so as teachers could use the feedback

constructively. At the end of the school year parents were asked to

fill out a questionnaire regarding the new reporting system. "By

asking for parent feedback at the end of the school year, the teachers

got information to use the next year as they continued to revise the

reporting system."...

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...th students and the parents. However it is equally

important that we provide opportunities to both parents and students

to give us, the teachers, feedback on our teaching methods, content

and strategies. In addition, parents are relying and trusting in

teachers to assist their children in reaching their full potential. It

is important for parents to feel that they are playing an active role

in the educational development of their child. As teachers, we should

make available opportunities for parents to give feedback and

responses to all aspects of our teaching. This must be done in order

for parents to secure the trust that they invest in us as teachers. By

inviting feedback from both students and parents we keep an open mind

about our teaching as well as address concerns about all areas of

teaching and learning.