Don’t Take It Personally: 360-Degree Feedback

With one semester down, your classroom culture established, and a new semester on the horizon, use December as an opportunity to conduct a 360-degree feedback cycle with your students.

Successful classrooms should be safe spaces for students to learn and improve. However, standard parent-teacher conferences can often leave students and parents wanting more suggestions or, even worse, wishing they had known sooner about issues that need to be addressed. With 360-degree feedback, students can proactively get the insight they need to grow and improve.

What Is 360-degree Feedback?

This feedback method gives each student the opportunity to receive feedback from the educator and anonymous feedback from peers, plus each student completes a self-assessment. A 360-degree feedback process can be a powerful way for students to grow and excel both in and out of the classroom. It can help increase engagement and help students identify areas for growth, recognize strengths, and succeed in leadership roles down the line.

Where Do I Begin?

To establish a successful 360-degree feedback cycle, you have to be willing to walk the talk and be open to feedback from the customers you serve — your students! What do students believe are your strengths? What areas could you focus on improving to cultivate an environment that better aligns with your classroom vision?  

Depending on the age group, you’ll want to adjust these suggestions for facilitating a 360-degree feedback program.

1. Identify what skills and competencies are required for your students to be successful. Check yourself — are these based on research, or are they your own beliefs of what makes a “good” student?
2. Thoroughly explain to students the expectations and purpose of the 360-degree feedback process: The information provided will be used for growth and development. 
3. Assign three to five students for each 360-degree feedback cycle of another student. This will help prevent survey fatigue and improve responses. 
4. Assure students that there will be anonymity among them, but that you will be privy to each student’s reviews for accountability purposes. This helps curtail non-constructive feedback.
5. Focus on identifying strengths. No one is perfect, and weaknesses will also be uncovered. However, use this as an opportunity to recognize what students (and you) do well. 
6. Give specific examples for positive feedback. Use general statements for constructive feedback. This ensures that responses stay anonymous (and softens criticism). 
7. Most importantly, create a plan of action. Work with students to develop next steps for improvement. 

What Questions Should I Ask?

1. What does this student do that is particularly helpful to you?
2. How could this student be more helpful to you? Identify things that this person should start or stop doing.
3. How could you help this student?
4. Do you have any other general observations or feedback about this student?