Principal to Fifth Grader
Ashworth Elementary School
Principal to Fifth Grader
By Ken Perkins
When Ashworth Elementary Principal Patrick Guy showed up to spend an entire day as a fifth grader at his own school , the first question from a fellow student came rather early : “ So , you going to do everything we do ?”
Guy assured them he would . Math and science ? PE and art ? Even lunch ? Yes , on all accounts . Whatever they did , he would do .
“ I told them to see me like any other student ,” Guy said . “ That means going to PE and lunch .”
Administrators shadowing students has presented itself as the latest educational tool . Guy and other AISD principals were recently challenged to do the same during a principals meeting . Spending a day in a student ’ s shoes is an endeavor designed to build empathy and identify issues that might need addressing .
While there is the Shadow a Student Challenge , where a principal picks a student and experiences their day from first bell to last , Guy went an extra mile . He became a full-fledged student , doing everything from working on equations in math class to maneuvering a sit-down scooter in gym class .
So serious was Guy about walking in a fifth grader ’ s shoes , he didn ’ t even park in his regular space . He waited until the doors opened and came through the front entrance , heading into the cafeteria with other students .
He participated in art and PE – “ Those scooters took a lot coordination ,” he said – and even sat in on a strings class for music .. In math , he participated in an exercise where
students had to visit 20 stations to solve problems . “ Make sure you show your work ,” teacher Tracy Harvey said to Guy and his fellow classmates .
Guy ended his day in science , which he enjoyed , especially when they performed some small group discussions and exercises on earth and space .
“ It was fun – and challenging ,” Guy said . “ At first , I was a little nervous to see whether I really was going to be smarter than a fifth grader .”
Of course , Guy knows that ’ s not really what it was about .
His assistant principal will do the same for a lower grade . Once that is done , they will come together and share notes .
“ The idea is to see school from their perspective ,” Guy said . “ We hear all this talk about channeling the experiences of our youth and making the educational experience richer . Yet we make decisions although we haven ’ t involved them . We don ’ t have an idea being so far removed from their experience .
“ That ’ s what this is all about ,” he said . “ This gives us a chance to see what they do and how they do it and to interact with them . See how their day goes and how they transition . What might be difficult and what is working well that we ought to keep doing or expand . It was extremely helpful .”
Arlington School & Family 17