My Students Reflect on Their Year in My Math Class

On the last day of classes this year, I gave my math students a brief questionnaire. It was a self-reflection for me, where I essentially asked them what they thought of me (especially since I was a first year teacher) and how they liked/disliked our class.

I told them I wouldn’t take a look at what they wrote until after they took their final exams and their semester grades were submitted. I kept my word. I didn’t read them until after the school year ended.

As I quickly learned, what I thought was an incentive for them to be brutally honest turned into an opportunity for a select few to amuse themselves…

Here’s an abbreviated collection of responses to my questions, spelling and grammar unchanged:

Name (optional):

• Adolf Hitler
• Manbearpig

Period:

• I’m on it now.

Name at least three things you would change about this class:

• Bring food, bikini girls and beer
• No homework. No quizzes. No tests.

What did I do as a teacher that you liked? Disliked?

• Your a BAMF
• I thought you were pretty laid back and cool. No offence but you are a nerd/geek/loser. No offence.
• Made it seem like we weren’t learning a lot but we got through everything.

Your friends are taking this class with me next year… What will you tell them about it?

• I don’t have any friends 🙁
• I don’t know if I will be discussing math w/ friends…
• Your cool but trig blows
• Mr Mehta rocks! And he wrote a book but I forgot the name of it.
• Hes really weird but a good teacher
• Mr Mehta has no soul + he makes math kind of fun!

Were there any days/activities that stood out in your mind?

• [Referring to “Flatland: The Movie“] When we watched that trippy video about the living squares and hexagons and stuff

What should I do more of? What should I do less of?

• Less learning

Did you study for quizzes and tests? If so, for how long? (Please be honest)

• I honestly didn’t study at all. I do the HW but I did poorly on tests/quizzes.
• I never studied once (I never have for any class though)

Any other comments/concerns?

• Write another book: I Sold My Soul to My Math Class
• Black power. I’m down with Latinos too.

Lovely.

Next year, they’re *so* just ranking everything from 1 to 5.

(For what it’s worth, I did get a lot of genuine, worthwhile responses from most students.)


[tags]math, teaching, education[/tags]