Are You Afraid to Get Feedback?

I once asked, during an advisory board meeting for a local high school, could the school do surveys to allow the students to rate their classes and their teachers? The suggestion went over like an ant hill at a picnic. Why the resistance? There wasn't a clear answer. But, I guessed that either they thought they wouldn't get any meaningful feedback, or maybe they were just afraid to hear what the students had to say. Personally, I love to hear what our students have to say, and I'm going to share a few examples.

I love student surveys. At Rosedale Tech we have worked hard over the years to get the most out of our student feedback. First, we do our surveys consistently and regularly, a little over halfway through the course, which is about every two months. Doing the survey during the course allows us time to fix any problems before the term is over. We are consistent with the questions, so that our aggregate data over time has meaningful comparisons. We have one topical question towards the end of the survey that changes with each survey and allows us to gather insight on current issues. We have adapted to current technology, using a survey link that is accessible by any device. The survey is anonymous, but we provide the option for any student to share their name and number if they'd like a follow up conversation in person. And, we are successful in soliciting written comments, which are extremely helpful.

I just read through some recent survey results, and here are some interesting comments that our students made about their instructors:

"One of the people that I see a lot of former and current students come and get advice from." How's that for an indication of credibility?!

"One of the first days of class he offered to help anyone lower their monthly payments and raise their credit score." The best instructors care about the whole person.

"I have never had a teacher that explains things as well as ____ does. I have never failed to understand a concept he is teaching despite being confused by some of them in the past." Adapting communication to fit the various different learning styles is key.

"I'm very impressed with how he's gotten through to some people in the class that have never been good at ____." Teaching is motivating.

Comments like these warm my heart and help to remind me what a winning team I'm on. Of course, we get plenty of comments with suggestions for improvement, and those are just as welcome. We can't fix anything if we don't know what the issues are.

Moral of the story: getting good feedback is critical for the success of any organization. And, getting good feedback requires a thoughtful plan with consistently solid execution. You can't be afraid to hear what people have to say!