Math, technology, education, and beyond

“Why should I ask my students about what I should teach?” “You want to get input from students as to how I should teach?”

Why is it that teachers think they know everything? Now, we are quite knowledgeable in our content areas, and we have been effective for quite some time. But the same methods do not always work for all students. I know that I start out my school year teaching one way, but I always have to adjust as I get a feel for how my different classes work. They all have different personalities and different learning styles. Isn’t this the reason that professors pass out surveys at the end of a course? So they can get feedback to improve? Why is it that high school teachers don’t use this method?

I came across the following website: Student Voices. It gives a few brief statements about what kids want out of education, and provides some links to support the idea that we need to listen to these students. After all, aren’t the students the reason we teach?