At the beginning of the year it is important to get to know your students. It also helps to know what things that they are interested in so that you can plan your lessons appropriately for the best engagement in the classroom.

One way to do this is to give the students a simple interest survey or to have them complete a questionnaire. The first assignment that my students have at the beginning of the year is to complete an All About Me questionnaire. I will often provide them with a similar version about myself, and I will have them complete this questionnaire themselves so that I can learn more about them.

Included in my All About Me are questions about siblings, favorite colors, movies, and TV shows. I even ask them about their favorite book and if they are playing any sports. What I’ve learned over the years through this process is that I’ve taught future football stars, authors, and even gymnasts. Then, when I’m building rapport with my students, I have conversation starters. I know their interests. It may seem fake, but it isn’t. Some students do not like to share readily, and this provides me with a way to have them open up. For example, I had 2 students when we were on a hybrid schedule who were very quiet and shy. They each attended on different days due to the hybrid schedule, but as soon as we merged the class and brought all students together, I knew I would pair those two shy students together. Why? They both enjoyed anime and drawing anime characters. It was a huge success, and I was able to pull them both out of their protective shells. They were able to share something that they had in common, and they were both able to build on each other’s strengths.

When creating your student survey questions, make sure to keep it relevant to your subject. Plus, include those extra-curriculars on there. You never know when that information will benefit you in the classroom.

If you don’t want to create your own interest survey, you can always use mine. It is a word document and you can change up questions to better suit your subject or class. It’s available for download below.

The post Get to Know your Students appeared first on Teaching ELA in the Middle.