The key to responsive teaching is determining what your students want and need in that particular moment. You need to know their concerns and questions (what students want), but it is hard to pry this information out of some students. Beyond asking students for feedback, you will want to mix in quiz situations when you quickly check for competency on a skill or understanding of a concept (what students need). Here are a few methods to try:
- Put ½ sheets of paper on the desks and ask for anonymous feedback on a specific question like, “What is the most difficult part of this assignment?” or “What do you want to cover today in class?”
- Pairs are a quick way to get students more comfortable with asking questions about the class. Ask students to talk to a neighbor about a question they have. The pair partner may be able to answer it, or it can be forwarded to the entire class.
- At the beginning of class, give a quiz on the material from the previous session to check for comprehension. Target an idea to define, a sentence to fix, or a multiple choice question that students answer with a show of hands.
- At the end of class, give a one line quiz over the material you just covered: What is the function of the thesis statement? or Fix the following run-on sentence.
- Storm the Board: set the rule that everyone has to contribute and have students approach the whiteboard to write a response. This is a great way for you to quickly determine connections between student concerns. This also gets students out of their seats and mingling, discussing their issues as they wait to write on the board.
- Students provide a question or concern about the current assignment.
- Students mark where they are on a 1-10 continuum you’ve put on the board. They might rate their comfort level with a task or tell you how many hours they spent on a paper.
- Students can “vote” on a variety of topics, like what they need to work on that day.