A Port Macquarie school principal has swapped his office for a Year 9 desk, spending a full day walking in a student’s shoes to better understand what school life is really like for them.
Heritage Christian School Principal Matthew Cohen shadowed Year 9 student Eli Barber on Wednesday, 16 September, following Eli’s timetable from the morning bell through to the end of the school day. The day began with a school band performance before Mr Cohen headed into maths, geography, chapel, English and commerce classes at the Mumford Street school.
The initiative, known as “Shadow a Student”, is run internationally and encourages school leaders to spend a day learning from students by living through their school day firsthand.
Mr Cohen said he approached the day with some of the same nerves students often feel.
“As I prepared for Shadow a Student Day, I must admit to a little trepidation. As an English teacher, I have often viewed the “dark arts” of math as something to be kept at arm’s length. Would I still remember my mathematics from 30 years ago? Would the other students be friendly? Would I have someone to talk to at lunch? Would I get detention for wearing the wrong shoes?” said Mr Cohen.
He said stepping into a student’s shoes for the day, including breaks and a stint on the basketball court, gave him a clearer picture of the pressures students face.
“These, among many others, are the very real concerns students carry when joining a new school, and often the day-to-day anxieties they navigate once at school. My purpose in stepping into Eli’s schedule was an object lesson in empathy,” said Mr Cohen.
Mr Cohen said the pace of the school day and the high expectations placed on students stood out, but it was the relationships between staff and students that left the biggest impression.
“The true joy of the day was simply spending time with the students and observing the mutual dedication and warmth they share with their teachers. In a world where so many social structures have fractured, the teacher-student relationship remains a vital space where passionate adults invest in aspiring young people,” said Mr Cohen.
For Eli, having his principal follow him from class to class, and even onto the basketball court, made for a memorable day.
“It was interesting having Mr Cohen join all my classes and see what students do every day. I think it gave him a better understanding of school from our perspective. It was fun showing him around, although I was pretty happy when I beat him on the basketball court,” said Eli.
Heritage Christian School is part of the Australian Christian College Group, a network of 16 Christian schools across five states, and is also the largest provider of non-government online distance education in Australia.
More information on Heritage Christian School is available at heritage.nsw.edu.au
Don’t miss any of the important stories from around the region. Subscribe to our email list.