Equity Survey For Students, Start Your Year With This: The pandemic and remote learning have heightened awareness of how internet access, home environments, and other factors can impact student engagement and success.
We love surveys and often help teachers create survey questions for their students, and this year we’re focusing on equity. We will give the surveys to students the first few days of school.
So that teachers can address equity issues in their classrooms. As well as signal to students that the teacher-student relationship is paramount.
An early survey can put important information about our students front and centre. In terms of equity, you may be flying blind without detailed student feedback.
Equity Survey For Students, Start Your Year With This
AN EQUITY SURVEY’S BENEFITS
In education, there are many obstacles that can prevent us from reaching students. Such as poor internet access or difficulty communicating with parents.
A survey can reveal obstacles and help move them forward. You can ask your students about their academic and personal goals. Their aspirations for the year, and what they’d like to learn about.
A survey can also help level out classrooms after a tumultuous year. Where students had wildly varying Some loved learning from home. While others found it deeply isolating.
Some are thrilled for returning to school. While others are processing trauma. A survey can help you understand the students’ experiences. As well as give you ideas for reuniting them in a healthy way.
Finally, a survey can generate ideas for co-creating classroom norms and addressing inequity.
SURVEY QUESTIONS ON EQUITY
Here are some questions we have used successfully in surveys. Along with their intended outcomes.
How do you get online at home? That a student has a device—even one issued by the school. Does not mean they have reliable internet access.
Some students have their own home computers with high-speed internet access. While others work from a hot spot on their kitchen table.
If you ask students about their internet access. You can either help them or adjust your expectations for assignments.
Assigning homework that requires internet access. For example, would be unfair to those who do not have it.
Help With Homework From A Family Member Or A Supportive Adult?
Last year, parental bandwidth differences were also revealed. However, some students were home alone while others had a caregiver who could help with homework.
Adult help is routine in some families but not in others. With this knowledge. You can create assignments that provide equal support for all students, and you can identify when to scaffold.
What do you expect this year? To avoid problems and ensure that each student gets the most out of their learning experience. Ask students open-ended questions. About what they find challenging in terms of technology, concepts, or instruction.
What Are Your Hopes As Well As Dreams For This Year?
Students benefit from clearly expressing their dreams. When they think about, write down, and share them with you. As well as you benefit from having information to incorporate into your curriculum and instruction.
Students often know what they want to learn, but finding books, materials, resources, lesson plans, assignments, and teaching strategies takes planning.
Some students might want to learn more about their culture. Create activities that authentically celebrate student culture and values, such as a global Observance Calendar.
If you discover common interests among students. You have even more reason to plan lessons, activities, and discussions around them.
Consider inviting local Black-owned businesses to speak to your students. About their paths to becoming business owners and entrepreneurs.
Once the responses are gathered, analyse the data to group their suggestions by time period. Some things you can do right away.
(Like helping students who don’t have reliable home internet get their own hot spot). While others, like books on a particular topic, may require budget approval.
Remember that student perceptions can change, so repeat the survey mid-year. Perhaps tweaked to reflect classroom experiences.
Incorporating equity is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s okay if you don’t see results right away. A it’s process that takes time to build trust and community with your students.
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