Does your school arrange for teachers to shadow students? It’s a unique kind of professional learning.
Amy Mitchell teaches science at Florence (AL) High School. Several months ago, Amy took advantage of an opportunity to shadow a single student for a full day to gain a deeper perspective on the lives of students at her school. Here are some reactions and reflections, captured immediately after the experience.
Amy includes seven learnings she says will influence her own teaching in the future. “It was one of the most insightful things that I have been able to do to help my students. I enjoyed it thoroughly and gained so much from it.”
by Amy Mitchell
My first thought is that our students are truly run through the mill on a daily basis. There are some positive and some negative spins!
Overall, I had a fantastic day. I felt extremely challenged in some classes (stepping into a second year foreign language class when I hadn’t had the first year in over 20 years); completely bored in some (there was a sub in the class, so I couldn’t expect interactions from a teacher), and I experienced a newfound respect for our fine arts program.
There are some extremely important questions I have from today’s experience: How do these kids do this every single day?
How do they keep up a good work ethic when they “learn” from 7:50 to 12:20, with only 5 minutes to rush to the next class? By fifth period, I just wanted to play Candy Crush. It was so hard to sit quietly and read. How do they rush from room to room to then sit for 50 more minutes? Our school is huge, by the way, and it really does take the full five minutes in traffic to get from some point A’s to some point B’s!
Another question: How then do they participate in all the extracurriculars and do homework from all classes, and study for multiple tests while still maintaining passing grades? How out of touch am I that I didn’t realize how difficult so much of this was? And most importantly, how in the world do their bladders wait so long for relief?
Since I have a scientific mind, obviously Chemistry and Geometry were much more enjoyable for me than History and English! But (forgive me here, English teachers)…..Julius Caesar? Has our curriculum not changed at all in 20 years?
This is the same play that I had to read in the 10th grade. This is what it has done for me in life…..sometimes crossword puzzles ask for the phrase of betrayal “et tu, Brute” and they often include the “ides” of March. Surely there’s something out there that today’s 21st century student could better relate to.
I guess it must be a rite of passage, but just not one my analytical mind can understand.
I’m sure there are those who would have felt the same way about the polyatomic ion quiz and BINGO. It truly takes all of us to make this school – and even the world – work like it should. Chemistry and geometry were things I used later in life to help better myself because those were my strong suits. I do understand that history repeats itself, so I guess it’s important to learn.
What I learned as a result of this experience:
1. When I have a sub, there MUST be something that will force accountability from a student. I have often left assignments with directions to finish for homework.
I learned that a reading assignment or assignment that will not be taken up will undoubtedly lead to homework from other classes being done, not to mention Trivia Crack tournaments, silent giggling (the kind where your whole body shakes, but somehow no sound comes out), or in my case beating a level on Candy Crush that I’d worked on for weeks.
2. I don’t have to feel guilty for allowing students to go to the restroom. Sometimes I do. Feel guilty, that is. Nature calls and as long as they are accomplishing what I need them to accomplish, so be it. Let it call. Plus, just stretching my legs would have felt great. Being still and focused for 50 minutes at a time is totally and completely difficult. I know that I am getting older, but my joints are stiff tonight.
My mind wandered so many times. There were actually hate notes on my essay that I wrote to no one in particular. I sat a whole lot today with short sprints in between. Students need to move. I will be more lenient with those that have trouble sitting. I get it now. If they want to bring a stool in from the lab so they are not confined to the desk that is not comfortable at all, they may.
Please don’t judge my classroom and the craziness that may seem to be going on. I’m appreciating my organized chaos more and more. Sometimes our students just need a few minutes to unwind. I plan to incorporate making a new friend and unwind time into my bellwork at least once a week.
3. I really do understand now the draw that chorus and show choir have on our students. I never have before. My own daughter loves it, and I just didn’t understand. Those students are engaged in creating performances that please people. They have sounds coming from their mouths for almost the entire period (something else I learned is important at times!). They are standing and moving, and are part of a team. Each single voice lends to the whole and is important.
Mrs. Rockhill is so talented and controls a class of MANY at one time. They do what she asks without question. Whatever the reason, this is an outlet for a student who has had a rigorous morning of required classes and was a great relief. I enjoyed it more than I ever thought I could, even if I was off key and melody for most of the time!
4. All of our teachers (at least the ones I visited) seem to really care about their students. They show it in many different ways. Some laugh and joke (those were the classes I remember most), some showed a very human and relatable side, some were actively involved in the learning process (lecture, q & a), while some served as facilitators.
5. Redundancy does not always produce the best result. It wastes time. Why ask students to do things twice when one time can show what I’ve learned about the topic? Enough said.
6. A different schedule might be a good idea. I would have loved to spend more time in the core classes that interested me most. I’m not sure exactly how it would all work, but a modified block that some have mentioned sounds like a great idea.
7. Most of all, I have found a new level of respect for our students. Some of them have jobs, some participate in after-school sports and activities, and some even have kids (their own or siblings) that they go home to care for after an exhausting day at school.
I remember being told that high school was the easiest part of life, but I sure am thankful that I no longer do what they are expected to do on a daily basis!
Amy Mitchell has been teaching science at Florence High School (10-12) for 9 years. She currently teaches Human Anatomy & Physiology. She believes that building relationships with her students and understanding their viewpoints is paramount to creating a positive learning environment.
