Brunswick High School Assistant Principal, Lee Ann Petry researches sgraffito techniques with 10th grader Gabrielle Foust in Sara Andes’ ceramics class during administrator-student shadowing day Jan. 31.Brian Lisik/special to cleveland.com
BRUNSWICK — The concept of shadowing is nothing new in the business world. However, as Brunswick City School’s public relations coordinator, Amy Rutledge, points out, it seldom looks like it did at Brunswick High School today.
“A lot of times you see it from the other standpoint, but rarely do you see it this way in the workforce,” Rutledge said of the concept, which stemmed from a conference BHS principal Michael Draves attended that featured noted educational consultant, Dr. Neil Gupta.
“One of the things I’ve constantly heard from the administrators is the differentiation of each class; some as a small group, some by themselves – there are very diverse learning strategies. The administrators are following the student all day, and in one class they may be using their Chromebook, and in another, they may be taking a paper and pencil quiz.”
New age
Indeed, in the past decade, classroom learning and the workload of students has evolved by leaps and bounds, creating an environment that is not at all your mother or father’s – or maybe even older brother or sister’s – classroom.
The goal of the student shadowing exercise is to get input, either directly or by the most up-close-and-personal observation possible.
“Of course we know what they are doing, but it’s different when you see it,” said Assistant Superintendent and former BHS principal, Tracy Wheeler. “When they are in math class and it ends, they shut down and then they are in mass media. Then they shut down and they are in Spanish.”
She added that for many students, the school day is far from the end of the day.
“Like after basketball, you’ll have time to do some homework, right?” Wheeler smiled and asked sophomore Kyle Goessler, whom she shadowed.
“Education has transformed so much and we (administrators) are 10 or 15 adults who set (students’) schedules,” Wheeler said. “It is interesting stepping back and looking at it from a kid’s perspective and seeing what is best for them.”
Participating administrators included Wheeler; Draves; Superintendent Michael Mayell; Pat Geschke, district director of education; Kathy Verhest, Bahis Siteleri director of technology; Dan Relic, instructional coordinator; Pete Demonte, athletic director; Derek Zelenka, school resource officer; and assistant principals, Andrew Perry, Keith Merrill, Lee Ann Petry, and John Justice.
The staff members immersed themselves in the student experience, donning backpacks, blue jeans and, in the case of Petry, her own vintage BHS letterman jacket.
The day was spent dealing student level with facilities related issues like crowded hallways and the challenges of room configurations, to the class schedules themselves. Merrill said one of the more interesting observations while shadowing AP student and swim team member, senior Amanda McGreer, was how AP students snack throughout the day, their schedules often too filled with classroom instruction to include a single study hall.
Students’ view
From the students’ perspective, the day included an opportunity to observe the administrators out of their environment as well.
“Mr. Justice asked and I thought it would be cool to let him follow me around all day,” junior Zachary Zografos said, adding that while he had no specific agenda, he did want Justice to see “how hard Pre-Calculus is.”
“He’s not joking, it’s tough,” Justice said after following Zachary through Government, Language Arts, Entrepreneurism, and weight lifting class.
“It was an opportunity to look through the lens of what students see,” Justice said. “His is a typical 11th grade schedule and I’m the 11th grade assistant principal, so when we are making decisions for a large group of kids, I think it’s important that we know what a kid’s day is like.”
And while much of the high school experience is somewhat akin to riding a bike, Justice said he was surprised to realize how quickly a lunch period can go by as a student and he was not exactly looking forward to the Chemistry quiz he was still facing in 10th period.
“But I did get my workout in today,” Justice laughed.
Draves said he hopes the experience becomes more than simply a fun change of pace for students and administrators, but a way to improve student life. Personally, hd said he was amazed at both the use of technology and the “jam-packed” nature of a typical student’s day.
“When we get in our career, we do one thing all day,” Draves said, noting that the closest administrators normally get to the classroom experience is conducting teacher evaluations.
At the end of the day, participants were charged with presenting one idea – be it concerned with curriculum, facilities or any other area – to build upon.
“So that we step back and look at our jobs through their lens and use that information to help kids,” Draves said.
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