Career and Technical Educational Center or another site off the FHS campus , the teacher followed along .
“ I discovered that I could relate to the students in real time and we had a shared , nearly peer experience ,” said Wendy Wilson , who teaches Advanced Placement ( AP ) Calculus and Pre-AP Alegbra 2 . “ We were able to relate with one another on a new level .”
Wilson said her day , which included taking notes in class , participating in a group presentation , working on an art project , studying a leaf under a microscope and taking a quiz , gave her the chance to see “ excellent teachers in action ” while also experiencing some of the challenges of being a student . She learned that it can be difficult to stay focused all the time when you are the one trying to absorb the information .
Tina Littlejohn , who teaches AP Environmental Science , also said the experience was worthwhile .
“ I enjoyed getting out of my bubble and
experiencing the great things happening in other classrooms ,” she said .
The response to the shadowing experiences was overwhelmingly positive , and many of the teachers were excited to see what their colleagues were doing .
“ Sitting in biology class , I thought about how I wish I had been taught biology like this ,” said Steve Hare , a Spanish teacher who is Frisco ’ s Languages Other Than English ( LOTE ) Department Chair . “ I would have actually learned something .”
The hope was that the teachers , as well as the students being shadowed , would gain insight on each other ’ s perspective . The teachers were invited to provide anonymous feedback , and the students also shared their thoughts .
“ It was interesting to have a teacher follow me around to all my classes ,” one student said , “ especially talking to them about what they thought of it .”
The value of the program showed in the responses of the teachers , who shared ideas such as working in “ brain breaks ,” checking frequently on students ’ understanding of a lesson and increasing engagement by involving students more in small groups . One teacher commented on how a student ’ s energy , productiveness and attitude is affected by the energy and attitude of the instructor , and several teachers said that their shadowing experience helped them better understand the heavy load that many students carry .
“ It ’ s challenging to shift gears and think about something completely different going from class to class ,” one teacher said .
Jetton said that the responses could help drive some professional development opportunities on campus in the fall . He wants to make it as meaningful as possible for teachers such as Wilson , who said the experience was worth giving up a day in the classroom .
“ That day was a highlight for me ,” she said , “ and it will have a lasting impact on me as a teacher and a person .” •
Tina Littlejohn ( right ), who teaches AP Environmental Science at Frisco High School , experienced the perspective of a student in the Pre- AP Geometry class of Maryam Rafiee .
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