As an educational technology consultant, I love to automate tasks. I love that thanks to technology I can walk into a classroom with phone or tablet in hand and fill out a digital feedback form that is instantly emailed to the teacher when I click submit.
A few years ago, I overheard one of my teachers remark to a colleague from another school site, “When Katherine is in my room, I get an email right away when she walks out the door. It’s like magic!”. Technology can make our job seem magical. It gives us the “cool” factor as we implement tools that those we serve have not seen before. When I first started using this automated feedback form, word spread quickly across the district. Principals and coaches contacted me wanting to learn how to implement this system themselves. Our superintendent raved about how we used the spreadsheet of results collected from the form to create instant charts and graphs with the click of a button.
And yet, I have not used a digital feedback form in a classroom for over a year. This is not to say that I am not providing feedback, nor does it mean that I do not document evidence of technology implementation to further guide my work. But I have developed a system that meshes digital and analog means.
The tools I have in hand when I walk into a classroom have changed. My approach with teachers is more personalized. And the response from educational leaders and teachers alike have been positive.
I no longer walk into a classroom with phone or tablet in hand, ready to fill out a premade form. Rather, I personalize the experience for each teacher based on my notes from the previous visit. I found the digital form to be static and general. I have opted for a more open-ended approach.
Before entering each classroom, I review my own digital notes from my previous visit. This process developed when I discovered that as I worked with more and more teachers, it became increasingly difficult for me to remember exactly what I observed and how I provided support during each visit. It is typical for me to walk through each room at a school site in a single school day, spending a few minutes in each classroom. When I served at a single school site, I could easily recall my experience in each room. Now that my role had shifted, the process needed to change to allow me to best serve these educators.
This new system is two pronged. It involves paper-based feedback for teachers combined with digital notes for me. I walk into classrooms armed with a number of items in my pocket. In my right pocket, I have post-its, stickers, and a pen. In my left pocket, I have my cell phone. Nothing is in my hand when I walk into the room. When I enter a room, I don’t want teachers to see a clipboard or tablet, as this evokes memories of evaluation for some educators. I consciously enter the learning space in this way to remind myself I am there with an open mind, to provide support rather than judgment.
You may notice that the post-its contain my headshot, website, and twitter handle. In classrooms, I often leave a post-it or two on which I provide a celebration of something I observed, an idea in the form of a question such as “Have you considered color coding digital slides for students to match the anchor chart I see on your wall?”, and a smiley face with the words, “Have a great day!”. When a teacher sees the post-it note, the headshot instantly reveals who left the note. These teachers might not recognize my handwriting, and I want to ensure that they are aware of where the feedback is coming from. The website address has been helpful as it leads teachers to additional resources.
I found that educators from across the county began asking me the same questions that could be answered via a screencast tutorial or webinar. Therefore, I populated my website with resources as such so that the learning could continue even when I am not present. Why the Twitter handle? I tell teachers that the quickest way to contact me is through Twitter. I answer emails, but not nearly as quickly as I do to a tweet I am tagged in or a DM on Twitter. This also encourages educators to use the platform to become connected educators. If I welcome educators to the Twittersphere and remind them of this space on each post-it I leave, they are more likely to remember our conversations about the resources available on this platform. As to the stickers, I tell teachers that I taught kindergarten so I love to give away swag!
A handwritten note on a post-it feels more personal than does an automated email from a premade form. It also allows me to personalize my feedback without feeling constrained to premade questions.
The post-it also encourages me to be concise. I love to write and have a tendency to be long-winded when I am passionate about something. But teachers are busy. I need to provide feedback and support in small chunks, increasing the likelihood that they will read and recall the notes. On the post-it pictured, I had the pleasure of having a conversation with a teacher when I visited. We discussed annotating PDFs. Not only was I able to leave a quick note about an app I recommended for her particular purpose, but I also left a note letting her know that teachers at the high school are using this tool as well.
The post-it provides not only my website with resources, but it also allows me to provide a note that sparks the opportunity for teachers to learn from each other. I want to ensure that teachers feel empowered to access support via digital means through the website or Twitter, as well as from their colleagues.
I have learned that post-its are more permanent than are emails. Educators have inboxes that continue to fill. Emails get lost. I was in a classroom a couple of weeks ago and walked to the teacher’s desk to leave a post-it as normal. I smiled as I noticed that the note I had left previously was still there.
After I leave each classroom, I pull my phone out of my pocket and take digital notes on my observations and methods of support. I use Google Keep because it is easily searchable and accessible from any device. This has greatly increased my ability to follow-up with teachers in a way that is personalized to each of them. I am not suggesting blanket tools to each educator. Rather, I take note of each teacher’s individual needs. I meet them where they are at and provide the proper tool for the proper task, based on their individual context. Want to personalize your feedback to teachers? Discover the power of a post-it. And as often as you can, draw a smile at the bottom of each message.