Element 36: Understanding Students' Interests and Backgrounds With this element teachers are seeking out information and knowledge of each student as an individual to engage informal friendly conversations. By: Tina Holt EDU 563
by Tina Holt
1. Strategy #1: Student Background Surveys
1.1. By using personal background surveys the teacher will get to know his or her student on a more personal level. You will be able to distinguish your students likes and dislikes. This is a strategy that can easily be used as a first day of school activity. There are several online resources to help teachers generate surveys too. Attached to this description is a link to an online website that is free and can be used to generate an online survey.
2. Strategy #2: Individual Student Learning Goals
2.1. With this strategy students will take their teachers learning goals and create their own individual student learning goal with the help of their teacher. The learning goal may read something like this: "By the end of this unit I will better understand ______________." Students may also place individual goals on how they want to see their grades end at the end of quarters or semesters or they may set goals on tests throughout the year. Either way these are goals that are set based on the individual themselves and not the class as a whole. One way to incorporate this strategy using technology would be to use an online portfolio or reflective journal through Google software. Student can track their progress throughout different units of study or throughout the year.
3. Strategy #3: Commenting on student achievements or areas of importance
3.1. Once your relationship is established and you've gotten to better know and understand your students, as individuals, they will be more receptive to your comments and feedback. A great place to leave comments on students achievements would be through a class Edmodo page. This would be something that would be public only to those who belong on the page and would give the teacher an opportunity to have a brag moment. These moments don't have to be limited to what happens in the classroom. It can be as simple as wishing someone a Happy Birthday to congratulating them on being nominated for Homecoming court or for shooting their first buck! These will be moments where teachers can seem like normal humans who care about their students on a more personal level.
