On the last day of class I had my students fill out a course evaluation survey to gather their feedback. A few things stuck out and will help in my planning for next year:
- Stories! A majority of students specifically mentioned the MovieTalks we did in class and enjoyed them very much. A side note: the stories we choose can also have morals
or takeaways. Two students specifically mentioned that the MovieTalk of Destiny made them realize that maybe they shouldn’t be too focused on things (such as checking their cellphone all the time) and instead be aware of the world around them.
- Speaking of MovieTalks, a lot of kids mentioned their annoyance of me pausing the video so frequently. After some teacher discussion, it made me realize I need to explain to students the process and why I do what I do. Students want instant gratification to find out what happens. They are engaged in the movie. They don’t even realize they are acquiring language during the video.
- Going along with the last point, one of my goals for next year will be to better (and more frequently) explain to students how proficiency and acquisition works.
- 30 Days. I’ve shown this episode of 30 Days for the last 7 years and I thought about not showing it this year, because we talked so much about immigration already, especially after reading Esperanza, and watching some clips of children in detention centers. But I am glad I showed it anyway. Students responded well to the movie and were able to see the life of a family both before they came to the US and after. Many students mentioned this video in their evaluation.
- Profe of the Week: This is something I started the year with and it kind of died out over halfway through the year, but it is something that students seemed to really enjoy. Each week a student is assigned to be the “profe” and starts the class by asking some review questions. Another activity that students enjoyed was talking about their weekend plans on Friday (voy a) and Monday (past tense) which I will start earlier in the year next year.
If you haven’t finished out the year yet, here is a version of the survey I gave to my students: Course Evaluation 2016
