This week I participated in the #shadowastudent challenge that is organized each year by School Retool. Here are my brief thoughts after completing the day!
- My day began at 7:50am and ended at 2:50pm – 7 hours total.
- Technically, this is how the student’s day goes
- 6:00 – Wake up
- 7:35 – Arrive at School
- 7:50-2:50 – 7 Classes
- “I also use lunch to get going on HW. I try to use any second I can.” -Student
- 3:00-3:45 – Used to take care of sick grandmother but now either babysits relaxes for a minute.
- 4:00-6:00 – Starts homework, eats dinner.
- 6:30-9:30 – Plays VB for competitive team on the other side of the town
- 10:00 – Homework, Shower
- Midnight – Bed
- And according to the student, “then throw in life and it’s’ even more chaotic”
- Her weekend
- ACT on Saturday morning
- Came home and cleaned her room and house.
- Had kids over at 4:00 and went to homecoming dance that night
- Got up for VB tournament that went from 6am until 9:30pm
- She stated she just didn’t do homework from sheer exhaustion on Sunday night
- Desk chairs are hard and I sat in them a lot. I only stood up in one class. My back hurts.
- I still love math and managed to get 2nd in a Kahoot quiz that was all about Trig!
- I could have water in my classes!
- Watched a short video that was created in 1951 for schools. Great way to represent what was happening in 1951.
- Just as I began to process information, it was time to go to the next subject.
- I thought the classes flew by but the student I shadowed said they went too slow.
- I still love all things history and social studies!
- Grammar still stresses me out, but I rocked it!
- There is a lot of Trigonometry in Algebra 2!
- She didn’t like the books they had to read in English class. Said students aren’t given a choice in what they can read.
My wonder abouts?
- How can students be given an opportunity to move more or stand up in classes?
- What kind of chairs/desks/seating can we get for students?
- Students have a much busier schedule than I ever did in high school 27 years ago!
- When do students have time to just relax and enjoy life or be with their family?
- I never had any time to process the material. It was rushed and fast. 48 minutes isn’t much time for deeper learning.
- Could students be given a choice in what novels they read?
- During the video in 1951 they showed a classroom with students at desk in rows, I realized that I was sitting in a desk in a row. How much has really changed about classroom organization? How can our 2017 classrooms look different than 1951? Flexible seating?