During the 'student-follows-teacher' project, students get to take a look behind the scenes of being a teacher and give feedback to teachers. Student Nadezhda tells about her experience.
What did you do during the student-follows-teacher project?
“During this project, I and another student observed lesson preparations and lectures and gave the teachers feedback. This gave the lecturers insight into their lectures from a student perspective and we could give really focused feedback on the teaching and get a better idea of the teaching profession.
We were allowed to attend the teacher staff meeting where they plan out the lectures, topics and assignments. We had the chance to give feedback during those meetings. So already when they were planning the course, we could ask questions like: ‘this doesn’t make sense, why would you put this much weight to the assignment and this much weight to the exam?’. So we could give feedback in real time.”
How was it giving feedback to a teacher?
“I think I was very lucky to work together with my teachers, because it was very easy. They told me to ‘be brutally honest and say what you think’. I could let it all out. I really liked how open the team was to feedback and considering what the student would like. The teachers found it really valuable and they liked what we had to say. Next year they are going to change a couple of things based on our feedback. It turns out that the things we noticed, were things they also noticed before but didn’t know how to deal with. Not that we were only pointing out completely irrelevant things that they have never thought about, but that it is a problem that actually exists and we were trying to solve it and contributing to that. I think it is a very nice symbiotic relationship between the students and the teachers. So I would recommend the project.”
What did you like about the project?
“Having a completely new role. I really liked having this quality assessment position. Where I could sit there during the lectures and workgroups and evaluate if things are going the way teachers want and whether they are meeting their goals, which is what they asked me to do. So it was just nice to have a completely different role from before, because I have been a student and a teaching assistant, so I have done something like that. But I have never been in the role of being an observer – just taking notes and focusing on what you can improve. That was really exciting to me.
What have you learned?
“From one side, it is really useful for the university as well. But also for students that care for education and the quality of it. You will develop some communication skills, some feedback skills, some assessment skills. These skills are all really useful later on. It just feels nice to be heard as a student – especially since education is for students after all.”
