Getting to Know Your Students
What strategies do you use to get to know the students in your classroom?
Go back to the Equity in Computer Science Self-Paced Professional Learning Course
I use several strategies to get to know my students, particularly in my middle school computer science classes:
- Beginning-of-year surveys that go beyond basic CS experience to ask about interests, hobbies, learning preferences, and what makes them feel supported. I include questions about their previous experiences with technology that might not be obvious, like digital art or gaming.
- One-on-one conversations during independent work time. These brief check-ins help me understand their thinking and build rapport. I make a point to speak personally with every student within the first few weeks.
- Interest-based coding projects that allow students to express their identities through their work while giving me insight into what motivates them.
- Student data cards that I maintain throughout the year with notes about each student’s strengths, challenges, interests, and learning breakthroughs. I update these regularly to track growth and changing interests.
To get to know my students, I use short surveys, informal conversations, and classroom observations. I like to learn not only about their academic skills, but also about their interests, hobbies, confidence levels, and how they prefer to learn.
I also try to give students choices in activities and projects so they can connect what they learn with their own interests. During the year, I observe how they participate, where they struggle, and what motivates them, and I adjust my support accordingly.