During Hy-Tech Club, check-ins are a way for instructors to learn more about students on an individual basis, and see how to best serve them moving forward.
Check-ins are conversations between one individual student and two instructors; this follows the “no one-on-one” rule. Check-ins can and should be student-driven as much as possible, but instructors should be equipped to lead. They should last around 5 minutes depending on the students and the class size.
Typically, check-ins take place at some point around the middle of a Hy-Tech Club semester. A full session should be allocated for check-ins, so students should not miss any crucial information. Instructors can switch off leading check-ins, but at least one instructor should be supervising the classroom at all times.
In-person, taking a walk around the building is a good way to ease some of the tension and help the discussion flow. Virtually, students and instructors should head into a breakout room.
Check-ins should help instructors get to know students better on a personal as well as academic level. Fostering these relationships will help instructors help each student in a more personalized way moving forward. Instructors will also be able to gauge the pace of the course, how certain students feel about the material, and how to drive engagement.
Follow these processes during check-in week.
Before facilitating the check-ins, make sure to introduce them appropriately. Students should understand their purpose, and be prepared for the conversations. They may be a little worried to have an individual conversation like this; they should be reassured that this is simply for us to see how they are doing, and see if there are ways we can improve their experience. They are not designed to be confrontational or disciplinary in any way whatsoever!
First, let students ease into the session and start their self-paced work. Establish a clear order for the check-ins (e.g., first row first, left-to-right, etc). Call on the next student in the order, and have two instructors pull them out of the classroom (or into a breakout room).
Start with a brief re-explanation of the check-in process and purpose. Open it up to the students to see if there is anything they would like to discuss; if there is, let them lead the conversation. This is an opportunity for them to talk to us directly, in a way they may not feel comfortable doing in the full classroom. Make sure to listen to whatever they have to say intently.
If the student is not talking much, pull from the question bank (below) to guide the conversation.
Take notes during the conversation; for example, if they mention they have a certain hobby, or if they mention a particular lesson they enjoyed, or a particular struggle they might have, write it down! Anything they say might come in handy for the rest of the semester.
If the conversation is stagnant, these questions can be a great place to get the ball rolling. Feel free to pull from any of these.
These questions are more about the students as people, rather than “students” (even though they are students).
These questions are more about the educational aspects of the club.
These questions may help us improve the student’s experience in club overall.
These are just here to break the ice, and might help get students talking. Try to figure out the student’s interests; this can be quite difficult, but if you find that they are excited to talk about any of these topics, encourage that and continue it!