Shadowing a student
Overview
Shadowing a student involves an educator, administrator, or designated adult observing a learner across different parts of their day to deepen their understanding of that learner's experience beyond their classroom. This technique derives from a research method in which a researcher seeks to understand a problem by fully immersing into a particular situation. The purpose of shadowing a student is to understand what a learner experiences through the learner's eyes to build empathy and develop a better understanding of an individual learner's Sense of Belonging across contexts. Shadowing a student is a process that can be used with any student to support and foster meaningful teacher-student relationships and trust and provide deeper insight into that student's experiences in and outside of school.
School personnel can also use this strategy in response to particular students who may be demonstrating difficulty academically to help inform teachers of the learner's experience and capabilities beyond the classroom and to gather information on instructional strategies and supports for these students. Additionally, student shadowing can fulfill the observation requirement mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as part of a comprehensive evaluation process in identifying a student with a specific learning disability. Shadowing can also be a part of the functional behavioral assessment (FBA) process, in which the information is used to identify and understand challenging behaviors, and come up with possible solutions. The information gathered can then inform the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), ensuring it is tailored to the student's unique needs.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how these elementary educators and administrators implement shadowing to increase engagement, motivation, and learning.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Culturally Responsive Strategies
Developing empathy in educators and in learners is an iterative process that requires taking the time to understand and honor others' perspectives.
Checking in with learners, or taking the time to talk with individual learners about their experiences or goals, is important for fostering a positive classroom environment.
Developing cultural awareness as an educator is an ongoing process that includes a recognition and appreciation for the full diversity of students and an understanding of how one's own Identity intersects with students' identities.
Discussing race with students can range from conversations on cultural celebration (e.g., celebrating the importance of diversity) to developing critical consciousness (e.g., understanding the impact of social inequities like racism and how to dismantle it).
A first step to supporting learners is truly understanding who they are.
Equitable grading systems and practices reimagine how to communicate student progress and mastery through various methods that reduce subjectivity and increase opportunities to learn.
Family engagement happens when educators and schools collaborate with families to collectively support their child's learning in meaningful ways, both at school and at home.
Learning about students' cultures and connecting them to instructional practices helps foster a Sense of Belonging, increase positive student Identity development, and mitigate Stereotype Threat.
Culturally responsive texts include those that reflect different facets of students' identities, including race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic, and disability status, as well as the intersections of those identities.
Translanguaging is a flexible classroom practice enabling students to listen, speak, read, and write across their multiple languages or dialects, even if the teacher does not have formal knowledge of these additional languages.
