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Christine Chang

Student Satisfaction AnalysisLanguage Class

Demographics

My mixed-grade Language class consists of five female students and five male students.Five students are in ninth grade, two students are in tenth grade, and three of the students

are in eleventh grade. The students in the class come from five different countries:

China, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nepal. None of the students have IEPs or504s.

(NOTE: Since the entire class reads between the 3rd and 5th grade reading levels, I

administered the survey designed for 3rd-5th grade students.)

Influencing Factors

My Language class: Last week, some of the male students were being disrespectful bytalking out of turn, so I had to talk to them individually, and even keep one student after

class.

I administered the surveys right after the students returned from the five-day weekend, so

they might have not been as focused and alert as other days.

Analysis

Knowledge of the subject matter

Of the ten students who took this survey, eight students gave a score of 1 (yes) tothe statement, My teacher gives me help when I need it. The other two studentsgave a score of 2. Four students gave a score of 2 (sometimes) to the statement,

I learn new things in my class. This is not surprising, since the students reading

levels range from the 3rd through 5th grade. Some of the students are learning Englishfor the first time and others have been learning English for several years in the public

school system.

Pedagogical knowledge

The statement receiving the fewest scores of 1 was, I do my homework with little

help. This result is understandable since the students rarely get assigned homework.

At least half of them work after school (usually from 4 9 PM) and their parentswork at night as well, so they have neither time nor support to complete homework

assignments. Also, since this is a double-block class, there is sufficient time to cover

the material in class.

Another statement received five scores of 2 was the statement, My teacher uses

different activities to help us learn. Since this class uses the Language! curriculum,the majority of class time is spent following a predetermined lesson plan with

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designated workbooks and textbooks. While I try to insert other activities, the

curriculum itself relies on the repetition of activities and drills in order for the

students to build a strong verbal foundation.

Caring and effective

While the majority of the students gave scores of 1 to the statement, My teacherlistens to me, at least half of the class gave scores of 2 and 3 to the statement,

My teacher treats all students fairly. The issue of fairness most frequently comes

up in the context of using home languages during class. There are some students whoinsist on using Spanish for non-class related conversation, and I have had to firmly

make a distinction between when its appropriate to speak in Spanish (to ask

questions about the directions or discuss the reading) and when they should adhere tothe use of English. Because of this tension, my Spanish-speaking students get in

more trouble than my non-Spanish speaking students.

The statement I can tell my teacher how I feel received four scores of 2, which isunderstandable since 100 percent of the students come from foreign countries, and I

am still trying to find ways to connect with them despite coming from differentcultural backgrounds. Also, since they are learning English, they hesitate when I

encourage them to share their opinions or feelings.

Areas of improvement

Given the diverse environment of this classroom, both in cultural background andreading level, I need to focus on the individual needs of each student to ensure that

they are being challenged appropriately.

Also, I need to provide multiple opportunities for the students to express their

thoughts/concerns/questions in class.

Next stepsI would like to schedule individual meetings with the students in order to better

understand what their needs are, perhaps during SSR.

Also, I am helping plan an event for ESOL families that introduces them to different

forms of engagement with their childrens education. By getting to know theirparents and connecting with them, I hope to develop stronger relationships with the

students, who will see that their teacher and parents share the same goal of helping

them thrive in school.