Matthew McNair has long had a very strong tradition of connecting with our students.  We are seen as a “Caring Community” and made several attempts to ensure students feel their voice is heard and we all that we can to make students feel good about their educational experience.

Over the past many years (at least seven years), we have engaged our student body in conversations we call “Student Focus Groups”.  The groups are either volunteers or nominated by teachers as Grade representatives and we ask them several questions about their school experience. The conversations and responses we get are shared with staff and we then make efforts to take the feedback and improve or enhance the connections we make with our students.

Our most recent “Student Focus Groups” took place in 2016, and the responses were inspiring and enlightening…

Here is some of what was shared with us:

Our students want:

• A welcoming, caring, friendly, safe and respectful school
• Cleaner bathrooms
• Less stress from tests and homework
• Helpful, caring, patient, respectful teachers who use a variety of teaching strategies and assessment techniques
• Cheaper cafeteria food with more vegetarian options
• More school-wide activities to bring students together (Dances, Pep rallies etc)
• Better WiFi
• Turn up the heat (too cold)
• More intramurals
• Later start time (9:00 AM)
• A daily Homeroom with the same teacher for 5 years-get to know them better and become someone they could go to for help

They are proud of:

• Our extra-curricular opportunities
• Our Resource support
• Traditions like Hoe-Down, Wake-a-Thon
• Our sports teams and clubs, our Theatre, Art and Music groups, our specialty programs (Culinary Arts, Automotive, Integrated Academics)
• That so many of our teachers care and are friendly
• That many of our teachers are accessible for extra help
• Our Cafeteria
• Spirit Days and Pep Rallies and Fieldtrips and Travel Opportunities

Things we do that help create sense of belonging/connectedness:

• Check-in with students at start of class (5 minutes to say what you did, how you feel, what is on your mind)
• Smile and eye contact with students
• Enthusiastic teachers
• Know the student names
• High fives in the hallway
• Generally, students feel cared for
• Coach teams and provide opportunities for students to get involved
• Say hello and greet students as they arrive for class
• When teachers take the time to get to know what is happening in students lives away from school
• When teachers share what is happening in their lives away from school
• When classes involve ‘hands-on’ learning
• When teachers give extra time to help outside of class
• Providing electronic notes to students, rather than making them write.  Easier to listen, follow along and learn.
• Teachers who tell stories related to text and notes-makes it easier to learn.
• Teachers who understand that there are other things besides school going on in our lives.

Things we do that are hurting student connectedness:

• Keeping students locked outside for 30-40 minutes when they arrive late
• Asking students to say quiz score aloud when recording marks (or when teachers reports out how students did on quiz)
• Making fun of students who do poorly on tests
• Sarcastic jokes (some bordering on racism)
• When it doesn’t feel safe to ask a question-when teachers scold or intimidate
• When it feels like the teacher doesn’t really care and are not friendly.  They look like they just want to teach and be finished
• When teachers expect to be respected, but do not respect the students
• Giving too much homework that creates stress (especially when it is not explained)
• When students feel they are not learning anything and are told to “learn it on your own”

We have taken this feedback and made many efforts to improve both our student experiences and our school reputation.  It is felt by both the student body and the staff at McNair that these efforts are paying off and students are enjoying their experience at McNair more each year, and that our repoutation in the community is changing for the better each year.  This will conitnue to be a focus for our school.