Like many educators, I entered the university classroom with carefully designed syllabi, rehearsed lectures, and high hopes. But over time, I discovered that one of my most powerful teaching tools wasn’t something I had prepared—it was the feedback I received from students.

I have come to believe that the single greatest skill a teacher can possess is the ability to remain teachable. Our effectiveness in the classroom is shaped by our willingness to think forward, especially as students increasingly expect us to remain “relevant” to the world around them. My own pursuit of effective teaching led me to an informal research project exploring different ways to receive and respond to feedback from university students.

So, what is “feedback?” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feedback is “the transmission of evaluative or corrective information about an action, event, or process to the original or controlling source.” In formal settings, this definition holds up. But in practice, feedback can take many forms. When students feel frustrated or confused in the process of learning, their feedback may emerge as complaining, arguing, or even gossip. While these responses aren’t ideal, they may signal that something important needs to be addressed—something that might otherwise go unspoken.

Why Feedback Matters

When considering student perspectives, it helps to understand why feedback is valuable in the first place. First, feedback provides insight into someone else’s perspective. Without it, one can only rely on their own assumptions. In my own teaching, student input has shaped everything from how I structure my courses to how I comment on assignments and speak with students. Second, feedback offers affirmation. I know why my assignments are valuable based on my own experience and expertise, but it is meaningful to learn whether students perceive that same value.

A third consideration is that anonymous feedback gives students a sense of agency. This is especially important for those who fear negative consequences. While unfortunate, this is a reality for some students, and anonymity can enable honest communication. Finally, feedback can reveal when it’s time for a change. It’s easy to fall into routines—especially when teaching the same course every year—and forget to reassess content and delivery. “The way we’ve always done it” is rarely a sufficient justification for continuing outdated practices.

Seeking Intentional Feedback

My experience with student feedback began with the university’s standard end-of-semester

evaluations. These included both positive and negative comments, but the responses were often limited in scope. I realized that if I wanted feedback I could use, I needed to be more intentional. The following semester, I actively encouraged students to complete the university’s optional evaluations and added two open-ended questions of my own:

  • What was the most valuable information or experience you gained from this course?
  • How has this course strengthened or benefitted your skill set as a music educator?

Since then, I have included these questions every semester. The responses have provided meaningful insight into what is working—and what isn’t.

Still, end-of-semester feedback has a clear limitation: any changes I make based on it rarely benefit the students who offered the suggestions. There is little opportunity to clarify miscommunications or improve instruction in real time. Fortunately, my institution offers a midterm feedback tool in which a neutral facilitator gathers student insights midway through the semester. This has been incredibly valuable. It allows me to make immediate changes that support the students currently enrolled.

Surveying for Improvement

In 2023, I was invited to help design a survey for an undergraduate course on body mapping and musicians’ wellness, a new requirement for performance majors at another university. The instructor and I collaborated to create questions that measured students’ understanding of anatomy, movement, and physical comfort while performing. We tested a pilot version of the survey in spring 2024, and based on that data, refined it and administered both pre- and post-course surveys in fall 2024. The resulting data guided improvements to course content and structure. The survey also provided the university administration with clear evidence of the course’s positive impact on student wellness and awareness.

Adapting Through Feedback

The more I have explored various tools and opportunities for gathering student feedback, the more adaptable my teaching practice has become. Over the past three years, this unexpected inquiry has prompted several meaningful changes. I have revised the sequencing of course topics to create a more coherent structure, explored Canvas tools to enhance course organization, and refined assignment descriptions and rubrics for greater clarity. I have also become more deliberate in setting assignment deadlines, taken time to reteach material when necessary, and revised lesson plans to improve depth, focus, and pedagogical relevance.

At its core, teaching is a relational practice. When we make space for students’ voices, we not only improve our instruction—we affirm their role in shaping the learning environment. That, I have learned, is what it means to remain teachable.