Checking In...

On week three of UAYSFA we checked in with the students with a mini-evaluation. We had our students fill out a survey and asked for their feedback. We asked that the students bring back the evaluation form the next week, and none of them did. In retrospect we should have given them time in class to fill out the evaluation form. We didn't this time because we weren't very far in our process and a critique/evaluation didn't seem like an efficient use of our time.

We did however, meet with each student and talk about where they were going with their project, whether or not there was something they felt they needed help with and what kinds of materials they wanted to use/learn about. I found this discussion to be helpful both for the students and for us as teachers. I think it helped the students to concretize their ideas for their projects and to think ahead about the finished product. It helped us as teachers to see where they were struggling (even if they didn't know they were) and what areas they might need help with in the future.

What I took away from this exercise was that open and honest communication with your students is very rewarding. It not only helps to further their art, but also helps you to get to know them and establish a trusting relationship. I think that having mutual respect and trust in a student-teacher relationship is one of the most important things in establishing a good learning environment.