End of Year Survey - 8th

Please be honest and helpful in your responses. I appreciate any constructive criticism or praise you can offer. :D
Name: 


A red asterisk (*) indicates required questions.

  1. SECTION 1: VOCABULARY

    About what percentage of the vocabulary words did you ALREADY know and use regularly (before we started)? *
    Almost none
    20%
    40%
    50%
    60%
    80%
    100%


  1. Do you think completing the homework helped you to learn the words? *
    Yes
    Somewhat
    No
    I didn't regularly complete the homework.


  1. Do you feel like doing the Vocab Workshop helped you?*
    With reading - I saw a number of new words elsewhere.
    With writing - I started using some of the words to improve my writing.
    Not at all - I didn't see them in reading or use them in writing.


  1. If you didn't do the vocabulary homework, why not? *
    I always got A's on the quizzes without doing it - it was a waste of time.
    I forgot to.
    I was lazy.
    I didn't care how it affected my grade.
    I almost always did it.


  1. Are you glad we use the vocabulary book? *
    Yes - I see it helps me now.
    Yes - I don't like it but I believe it'll help me in the future.
    Meh, I guess I need to learn words. IT'S NOT FUN THOUGH!
    No, I hate it.


  1. I thought the tests were: *
    too easy
    appropriately difficult/challenging
    too hard


  1. I'm thinking I should add synonyms to your tests next year. That way, you're building your brain word bank even more. What do you think? *
    I agree - bring it on!
    Ugh, that's going to be awful, but I agree that it will help me.
    NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
    Hey, that might actually HELP me because it'll be easier than the sentences.


  1. On the Synonyms/Antonyms section of the homework, I was too lazy to use a dictionary to look up words I didn't know, so I just put something random down.*
    yes
    no


  1. Here's a catch-all question about vocabulary, for anything I forgot to ask about.

    What other feedback do you have about the way we do vocabulary? This may be about homework, classwork, assessment, etc. I can't promise I'll do it, but I promise I'll consider it. :D*


  1. SECTION 2: ESSAY WRITING

    How often should we do timed writings? *
    once a month
    twice a month
    twice a quarter


  1. Be real. When we did the RAG (read around groups), and you got to read and evaluate other people's essays (either your own table or more than that), did it help you? *
    Yes, I saw what better writers did and tried to imitate it in my revision.
    Maybe - I liked seeing what other people wrote, anyway.
    No, it didn't help me because I didn't know HOW to imitate the good writers.
    No, it didn't help me.


  1. Anything else you want to say about read around groups or peer critiques? *


  1. SECTION 3: GRAMMAR

    I recognize that students, generally, have some grammar problems, and I want, desperately, to fix them.

    So, here's my struggle. After spending 2-3 weeks teaching grammar out of a grammar book, I often see that students don't actually apply the rules they learned to their writing.

    What do you think would actually help you fix up your grammar/conventions? *


  1. I like studying grammar out of a grammar book. *
    Yes, because it's easy.
    Yes, because I actually learn from it, and apply it to my writing.
    No, because it's a waste of time (I already know it).
    No, because I don't actually learn from it or apply it to my writing.


  1. I know the difference between their/there/they're.*
    Yes. I always get it right.
    Yes, but I occasionally just flub it.
    Nope.


  1. I'm trying to figure out what to do about spelling. Generally, we spell better than the average school, but still, teenagers are slipping and no longer able to spell as many age-appropriate words as they used to. I mean, we could just do weekly spelling tests, but everyone is at a completely different level with it, and it's more class time spent testing.

    Spelling counts on your big tests now.

    What do you think? Spelling tests (with grade-appropriate words)?

    Educational research says kids need to maintain their own personal spelling lists. Would you be diligent about doing that (without me riding you about it)? *


  1. SECTION 4: MISCELLANEOUS

    Educational research suggests that students don't write nearly enough. Some people are staunch advocates of journaling - they say that writing for short periods of time is beneficial and helps build skills.
    How often would you enjoy journaling? (Either with a given prompt, or your own choice.)*
    Everyday for 10-15 minutes would be cool.
    Once a week for 20 minutes
    Never, I really don't like it.


  1. For the first half of the year, we diligently did writing workshop almost every block day for 45 minutes. In the second half, we had to focus more on certain forms of writing (to prepare you for tests).

    Did you like it? *
    I really liked it, and I wrote some stuff I was really proud of.
    I really liked it, and though I didn't finish/write anything I was proud of, I felt like a became a better writer as a result.
    I really liked it, but only because it was easier than listening to you and whatever you were going to throw at us.
    Meh, whatevs, I could take it or leave it.
    I didn't like it at all. I'd rather be directly instructed and/or given prompts during that time.


  1. Anything else you want to say about writer's workshop? I'm contemplating whether or not to bring it back next year, so I'm very open to anything you have to say to convince me one way or the other.

    (Some schools do it and swear it's the best/only way to teach writing. Some schools never ever do it, and think it's awful. The jury is undecided on it.)


  1. SECTION 5?: (Maybe? Who even knows what section we're on anymore. This is the longest survey ever.) Anyway, this one is about YOU.

    Which one describes your development as a writer?


    I can honestly say that I've improved a lot. I'm scoring higher and more confident.
    I think I've improved, though the numbers don't necessarily show it. I feel more confident.
    Meh, hard to say. Maybe?
    No, I don't think I've improved as a writer this year.


  1. I genuinely and honestly care about each and every one of you as a writer and a person, and I want to see you succeed. I tried to demonstrate that to you, but I may not have succeeded.

    Have I successfully conveyed that to you this year?
    Yes, absolutely.
    Yeah, I guess. You're a little sarcastic sometimes, but I know you still like me.
    Hmp. Maybe. I'm not sure.
    No - I don't get that vibe from you.


  1. What units/activities/etc. did we do that you liked? Why'd you like them? Besides Tornado. *


  1. What units/activities/etc. did we do that you disliked? Why'd you dislike them?

    What do you wish I'd done differently? (This is a catch-all question, so go to town. :D) *


  1. What's your opinion on leveled classes? Like if, for example, we were going to level other classes too. *
    I'm in advanced math, and I like leveled classes.
    I'm in advanced math, and I dislike leveled classes.
    I'm in regular math, and I like leveled classes.
    I'm in regular math, and I dislike leveled classes.


  1. Consider your grade in the course.
    It's very accurate. It represents both my knowledge/skills and my efforts.
    It's not high enough - I am more smart/skilled than it suggests.
    It's not high enough - I may not have scored high, but I worked very hard, and it doesn't represent that.
    It's too high.





Brittany Camp