Instruction from a Student's Perspective

It is important to honor the student voice. One way to do so is to conduct a Student Shadow Study. A shadow study is a way to gather data about the experience of students with curriculum and instruction in your school. They involve selecting students at random and following them throughout the school day.

The shadow study protocol was originally developed by NASSP and suggests charting the experience of students a five to seven minute intervals. The allows the observer to see the ebb and flow of activities during the day. Spending the entire day with a student and documenting his or her experience provides interesting insights into how students experience your school. Of course students quickly figure out that something is going on so the best approach is to talk with them and assure him or her that you are not gathering information about them to report to the office.

Shadow studies are best done by a team of people. After gathering the information you can use it as a springboard to launch conversations with the faculty or departmental level about the student experience. The patterns that emerge across students and across classrooms can provide helpful guidance to improve the quality of instruction in your school.