{"id":1244,"date":"2026-02-04T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/?p=1244"},"modified":"2026-02-05T10:43:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:43:59","slug":"remaining-teachable-what-student-feedback-taught-me-about-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/2026\/02\/04\/remaining-teachable-what-student-feedback-taught-me-about-teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Remaining Teachable: What Student Feedback Taught Me About Teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Learn how student feedback, especially midterm feedback, supports faculty growth by helping instructors remain teachable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I began my higher ed faculty journey like so many others: carefully designed syllabi, rehearsed lectures, and high hopes. For all my planning, one of the most powerful teaching tools I\u2019ve found wasn\u2019t even something I had prepared – it was the feedback I received from students.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I believe the greatest skill a teacher can\u00a0have is staying\u00a0teachable.\u00a0Student perspectives\u00a0keep\u00a0us relevant, adaptable, and forward-thinking.\u00a0In this\u00a0blog, I share how student voice\u00a0shaped\u00a0real-time course adjustments.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Why Feedback Matters\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Feedback provides us with perspective beyond our own. It affirms what is working, provides students with\u00a0agency, and points out where\u00a0change is needed. \u201cThe way we\u2019ve always done it\u201d is simply not\u00a0reason\u00a0enough\u00a0to keep teaching the same way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Exploring Feedback Options\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Like many\u00a0faculty, I relied on end-of-semester evaluations. These\u00a0offered\u00a0valuable perspectives, but their\u00a0timing meant\u00a0students\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0benefit\u00a0from\u00a0later\u00a0changes. To dig deeper, I added open-ended questions about what was most valuable in the class and how the course strengthened students as music educators.\u00a0These answers gave me clearer\u00a0insight,\u00a0but\u00a0still came too late to guide current students.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I also collaborated on course-specific surveys,\u00a0including\u00a0one for a new wellness course at another university. These projects provided useful data,\u00a0especially\u00a0for\u00a0administrators, but\u00a0still lacked the immediacy I wanted in my\u00a0teaching.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Over time,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0built feedback into the rhythm of my own courses. Weekly online discussion posts encouraged students to engage with the material\u00a0and gave\u00a0me a window into\u00a0their understanding. Their responses revealed where they felt confident and where I needed to reteach or clarify.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The Power of Midterm Feedback\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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The\u00a0most practical change\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0made\u00a0is using Ball State\u2019s Midterm Feedback tool. In this process, a neutral facilitator gathers student comments halfway through the semester. Because\u00a0feedback is\u00a0anonymous and delivered through a third party, students are more candid,\u00a0and I can trust that the responses reflect their true experience.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The results have been a\u00a0game-changer. Midterm feedback\u00a0lets\u00a0me\u00a0make active changes\u00a0during\u00a0the same term, responding directly to students\u2019 concerns while they are still\u00a0in\u00a0the course. Because of it,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0clarified assignment instructions, adjusted deadlines, revisited pacing, and even paused to reteach key material. Students appreciate\u00a0their voices shaping\u00a0the class in real time, and I appreciate having clear direction while the course is\u00a0unfolding.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A Takeaway for Faculty\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you try\u00a0one new feedback strategy,\u00a0make it midterm feedback<\/a>. It\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0take long, and the insights can transform both your teaching and your students\u2019 experience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Teaching is, at its core, a relational practice. When we make space for student voices, we improve our instruction while also affirming their role in shaping the learning environment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ball State Midterm Feedback Services<\/a>\u00a0provided by the Teaching Innovation Team, part of the Division of Online and Strategic Learning (DOSL), is open\u00a0during\u00a0weeks 4-10\u00a0of the\u00a0Fall and\u00a0Spring\u00a0semesters.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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