A Walk to Remember

As an administrator, I often feel like I'm in a circus act, juggling the responsibilities of being an educational leader who conducts observations, meets with parents, students, & staff, oversees building maintenance and management - the list goes on! But on March 1st, I was able to hop off the big top and shadow a student for a whole school day. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced as a Principal and provided me the unique opportunity to gain perspective as an adult but through the lens of a 13 year old girl.

In preparation for my big day of shadowing, I thought a lot - specifically about the student I'd choose to shadow. I'm fortunate to have a diverse population of learners in my school so at first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go with a stellar student who constantly makes the All A Honor Roll or someone at the opposite end of the spectrum. After thought and consideration, I decided not to go with either of those options and instead, I'd follow an 8th grade student who some might describe as "average " (although I immediately learned she is far from average in any way, shape, or form). I chose a student I didn't know particularly well but have interacted with once or twice.

Did I have hesitations? Absolutely! I feared I would get bored, hungry, tired - many of the same feelings I am sure some students encounter daily. I was also afraid of what I didn't know. What would I see? What wouldn't I see? Would the student I shadow get bored, hungry, and/or tired and then want to ditch me before the day was through?

My fears disappeared as soon as the day began and I was welcomed into homeroom - not only by the student I shadowed but the entire class of students. Students are provided breakfast in homeroom so I, too, was immediately provided breakfast (a blueberry muffin, an apple, and chocolate milk). This was an instant conversation starter as students wanted to bring to my attention that apples get boring and it would be nice to have more of a variety. Many also pointed out that the apple was "dirty" which really just meant it had a small bruise on it.

Before I knew it, the day was in full swing and I shadowed my student from homeroom to Spanish, science, English, social studies (where there was a substitute teacher) and math. My student was open and honest about all of her likes and dislikes. Without being asked, she told me the name of her favorite teacher as well as her least favorite teacher. She shared that she expected people to act differently in front of me while I shadowed her and then pointed out specific instances when she felt this was happening. (Her prediction was that teachers would be nicer and students more well-behaved than any ordinary day.) She was clear on things she wanted me to work toward improving in the school: there are too many students in the hallway at once and she feels students should be allowed to choose whatever physical fitness activity they want over a whole class activity directed by the teacher.

Throughout the day, I shared my recollection of middle school and how much things have changed. Clearly, technology has had a HUGE impact on teaching and learning. The benefits of being a 1:1 device school became abundantly clear when in the first class of the day I got to see a YouTube video of Conjugations Back (remember Justin Timberlake's SexyBack?) before we started conjugating verbs. This immediately made us all laugh and broke the ice to get us started.

In most classes, students sat in groups and collaborated in an effort to complete assignments (another big difference from back in the day). However, the student I shadowed and I both agree that in all classes we attended, there was a lack of movement. Don't get me wrong, I've been in these same classes on days where teachers have stopped to provide students with "brain breaks" or included Move It as a means to get kids up and moving - it just didn't happen on this day. Of course, not shy about adding this to the list, my student wants to be able to move around more throughout a given class period...and who could blame her...certainly not me!

The day was filled with so many nuggets of greatness: not only getting to know MY student but also getting to know her friends and friends of her friends. I enjoyed her brutal honesty (telling me the boys at her table told her in advance not to bring me to their lunch table because it would cramp their style), maturity (telling me about the "drama" and how to make it stop), and willingness to answer all of my questions (even when she knew I might not like the answers). But the highlight of the day (for both of us) was something so simple yet so powerful; the highlight of the day was a walk we took right after lunch. Although the walk took place during our designated PE period, it just so happened maintenance was taking place in the gym so last minute, I decided instead of sitting inside, I'd take my student for a walk outside during which time she shared some of her future goals and details about her family life. There was so much I didn't know before this experience and wouldn't have known had we not taken the walk. Afterward, she told me she'd like to walk again on a "normal" day.

Before I knew it the day was over - it went by so quickly! One day later, the student I shadowed stopped by my office with a friend right after lunch and asked to go for a walk.  How do I say no to that? I don't! #shadowastudent