Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 22 | Special Edition

AFTER SCHOOL EXCELLENCE
Getting Feedback from
Your Students
By Master Mike Bugg
There’s a popular saying that you should work smarter, not harder, which is something
to keep in mind as we explore the concept of intelligence.
There are several things you can do at your school to work
smarter, not harder. The lifeline of your school is your students.
They dictate the growth and development of your school. Without
students, you’re definitely doing things the hard way. Within
your school, you work hard to bring in tons of new students in
your doors, but once you bring the new students in, you’ve got to
close the door behind them; otherwise you’re constantly trying to
replace new students—an effort that’s not working smartly at all.
So, how do you keep the students you get?
That requires establishing communication between your staff
and students. You’ve got to learn what your students like about
your school so you can better serve their needs and retain them as
students.
Here are a few tips on how you can get the necessary feedback
from your students so that growing your numbers is a
breeze, and you can work smarter, make your school
healthier, and make your students happier.
Your most important source of student desires
and wishes is obviously going to be students.
However, you shouldn’t overlook feedback from
parents. There are times when students may feel
intimidated, shy, or embarrassed to share certain
ideas with you, and parents can be helpful with
communicating things that kids are slow to share
(like bullying at school). Also, since parents hold the
purse strings, it’s not a bad idea to find out what
they like and don’t like about your program
so you can address those concerns before
they get out of your control. You may also
want to utilize your relationship with local
schools to get more feedback on what
students like and don’t like, or what
might be effective in the martial arts
school and what won’t work. Talk to people who have tried these
things before. There’s no sense reinventing the wheel if there are
more efficient ways to improve your program and retention.
Make a comment box for the lobby at your school. You can
have your students decorate it with martial arts-themed drawings.
Place it near your front door or somewhere that people will see it
as soon as they come in. Provide a simple questionnaire for people
to fill out that includes some things you want to know, like do your
students enjoy your activities? You can include a scale from 0–5
that makes it easier for students to answer. At the bottom leave
a blank space where students can write comments. This will give
you invaluable insight into how students are enjoying your school
and what can be done to improve their experience.
Check in with parents through regular calls home. You can
present these calls as progress reports on each student’s performance
and get their opinion on many aspects of your school’s
instruction.
If you haven’t ventured into the digital world and social media
yet, it’s never too late to get started. AMS offers outstanding products
and services that can help you develop your school website
and online strategy. A Facebook account is a great place to post
polls and get feedback from your community. Operating a blog
with a comment section gives you access to unfiltered feedback
from your students.
Your staff is also a good source of information about your
school’s strengths and weaknesses. Hold regular meetings where
you can ask your staff questions and get their input on curriculum
and course objectives. If staff members leave to pursue other
career interests, conduct exit interviews where you can hear their
suggestions for improvement.
Opening your ears and getting feedback on your school is
essential to achieving your greatest success. Working smarter and
not harder will yield you incredible results!
CHIEF MASTER MIKE BUGG is an 8th degree black belt and the owner of a $1.52 million-per-year
location, with one of the largest after school and summer camp programs in the country.
104 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 22 | SPECIAL EDITION