Student's Shadowing 

The student's shadowing assignment had a devastating impact on my role as an educator and lead teacher. I decided to shadow a newcomer—an immigrant student from the Dominican Republic. My day started with a super exciting and dynamic science class. I was eager to learn and tried not to lose sight of my purpose. I had high expectations about this day and observing the student's academic performance. In the Living Environment class, there was a happy and welcoming atmosphere. The teacher did constant comprehension checks, and at least 80 percent of the class was engaged.

For privacy reasons or to call my shadowed student Student X.

 S

student X joined our school about three months ago in the middle of Covid 19. His English is very limited. I wanted to shadow Student X because he represented a community in high need in our school and as an immigrant myself who struggled with the language in high school and identified the challenges newcomers face every day. During period one, Student X did not participate via the chat or by unmuting. I did not notice the teacher calling his name or referring to him at any time during the lesson. It was almost like he was invisible. I was still enjoying the class, but I had a bitter taste, and I felt restless. I kept thinking about Student X and how he must be feeling. I thought that maybe he feels a little bit embarrassed due to his lack of English skills; perhaps he does not understand anything the teacher is saying. Another thought came to mind, what if he is frightened to be a cold call; What if he spends the day stressing about these classes that he does not understand.  

The second period arrived, I was still optimistic yet worried. English was the next class, so I was ready to see Student X in action. Forty-seven minutes passed in front of my eye, and he did not say a word. I felt different emotions, from sadness to anger and everything in between. I wanted to maintain my low inference lens, but I could not stop wondering if the teacher was doing her due diligence to ensure Student X's success. I tried hard not to get upset and stay focused, but the day went by, and every time I would experience the same thing, I felt Student X was almost invisible. His name was called once in one class, followed by an awkward silence. His voice was finally heard for a few seconds; he answered the question correctly. He read in English as his ability allowed, and he provides the right answer. This was the last class Student X had for the day.

This day was eye-opening for me. I felt like I did not know anything as a teacher and as a teacher leader. I even felt that betrayed my commitment and vocation as an educator, and I felt devastated. Then, I wondered how the student must feel about going through what I experienced daily. I also reflected on how many other students were going through Student X experienced. To be the student I shadowed must feel like being invisible, unheard, invalidated, frustrated, and castrated. It has been a few days since I shadowed the students, and ever since, it has not been the same for me in my classes. 

Significant takeaways for this assignment: 

1. There is an emergency call for addressing ENL students' needs. Newcomers are not properly served during this pandemic. I know the school has the best intention to provide equal learning opportunities, but the teachings are not being delivered fairly because of the dynamic of remote learning. Students help teachers or co-teacher in traditional classrooms, but this can become big in a traditional classroom challenge on remote learning.  

2. The DOE system has failed to allocate time for content, IEP, and grade team teachers to collaborate and analyze students' data. During the pandemic, teachers only meet one time a month; there has been a limited amount of time for teachers and other stakeholders to collaborate. Teaching is not an isolated process; on the contrary, educators make decisions based on students' performance in each class; as educators, we look for trends, analyze these trends and create action plans to solve issues. Another system failure is not making the camera mandatory. Students are hidden behind the computer screen. Educators are not confident whether students are present or not. A significant part of human communication happens with body language, which has become impossible with the no camera policy in the public system. 

3.   It is almost impossible to measure students' success remotely. Some of the classes I shadowed had 28 students; even if the teacher intended to measure students learning, it was impossible to check each student's work remotely. It was also impossible to have 28 students participate; there is no time. I also saw a challenge on how co-teachers can provide support as the content teacher guides the lessons. Online classes should be smaller, especially if the students are ENL.  

4. Quality teaching is being provided Remotely, but only a few students are benefiting from it. Yes, teachers and leaders are doing their best to ensure influential teachings, but covid 19 has made it difficult for students to be in class or be engaged. I sat for seven consecutive hours taking classes; by the fifth period, I was done, I didn't want to see another class. My brain was utterly exhausted. I only shadowed Student X one day; I cannot imagine how a student's remote learning life is like every day, 6 to 7 hours a day for an entire school year. I have more than empathy for every student in my school or any city school; I have my most profound RESPECT.