Overview: Check In Regularly

Pay attention to student behavior and track student progress. Empathize with students (“I am exhausted today, too. Let’s make the best of this class together.”). When a student is struggling, intervene.

Formative Assessment

Peg Balachowski, from Everett Community College, summarizes formative assessment this way:

• A check-in used to potentially modify teaching and learning activities – Improve instruction and incorporate student feedback
• Typically involves qualitative feedback
• Administered throughout a unit or course
• Assessment FOR learning – Students use the results to self-monitor their understanding and learning process. Instructors use the results to check for understanding and adjust teaching to better support student learning.

Example Minute Paper:  After a class session or a reading assignment, students submit the main ideas that stood out to them and the questions they still have.

CATS! Read more to find out why exclaiming that here and now is not crazy. Formative Assessment and CATsDownload Formative Assessment and CATs

A Simple Question

During the first week of class, ask students, “What do you wish (more) instructors knew about you as a person or as a student?” This works better as a written submission, in person or via Canvas. Thank you to Tish Lopez from South Seattle College for sharing this idea.

Class Meeting Greeting

This idea is borrowed from our K-12 colleagues. Each day, especially for the first few class meetings, stand at the door and greet each student as they come into the classroom. Use their name and share a greeting like, “Glad you are here today,” or “Thanks for your post to the discussion in Canvas.”

Campus Resources

Your college has many resources available for students on campus. One of the best ways to support students, those who are excelling and those who are struggling, is to refer them to these wonderful resources. Even better, walk them to the services, introduce them by name, and help them connect with someone there.

Not sure what those resources are? Find the Student Handbook on your college website or connect with an adviser in Student Services.  Look for programs like TRiO, disability support, counseling, tutoring, BFET, and more. Worried about remembering all that is available? No worries! Demonstrating use of the Student Handbook to find information is a great way to model help-seeking behavior to students.

Extra Credit: Schedule brief one-on-one meetings with colleagues from other departments to learn about the support they provide to students.

Common Question: How are One-on-One Meetings different from Checking In Regularly?

One-on-One Meetings: Scheduled, with a specific topic or guiding question/agenda

Checking In Regularly: Happens more organically and consistently as you interact with students; enhanced by use of regular assessments and feedback

Purpose of Checking In

• Pay attention to student behavior and track student progress
• Intervene when students are struggling (use your college’s alert systems and refer students to resources)
• Empathize with students (“I am exhausted today, too. Let’s make the best of this class together.”)
• Demonstrate you care about them as people

Teaching Online: Check In Regularly

The following strategies related to practicing the 4 connections in the online teaching environment were generated during faculty discussion in spring 2020 at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. If you would like to add your own suggestions and experiences to this page, please email Sally Heilstedt (Sally.Heilstedt@LWTech.edu).

What are ways you’ve been checking in regularly with each of your students?

• Set up weekly Quizzes in Canvas that are set as graded surveys (just a couple points; can be extra credit). Ask students for feedback about the class that week, questions they have about the material, and anything else they would like you to know. Respond to each student’s comments.
• Take time in class to get to know students better. One great activity is show and tell of something on your desk/in your study space. This activity achieves multiple goals: creating closer connections, checking in, and providing informal public speaking practice.
• Provide more and/or more specific comments and feedback on assignments. Encourage use of comments as a conversation with the students about their work.
• Reach out via email in addition to Canvas messaging when students do not show up to class sessions or have not completed assignments.