Online Shadow Teaching Day
Shadow teaching is an integral part of the SLO Academic Department and the SABIS® system. Shadow Teachers® help the teacher by taking the lead in teaching certain material.
On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, our school held a fully virtual Shadow Teaching Day for students in grades 7-12. It was a big day, which we had been diligently preparing for. As Shadow Teachers®, each week we were given a small part of the lesson to teach, gradually building up our skills and confidence so that in due time, we are able to instruct an entire lesson on our own.
Once the day began, and it was time for me to shadow teach the English session, I turned on my camera and greeted the class. I felt a little anxious at first, especially that there was a visitor present. However, after a few minutes that feeling quickly faded away and was replaced with excitement as I began explaining the poem. I attempted to engage the class, asking some of my classmates to read and explain their interpretation of the poem, which was quite intriguing. It was also reassuring to know that my teacher was there and ready to aid me if necessary. Without noticing, the session went by really fast, and both the teacher and visitor gave me positive feedback and appraisal on my performance and analysis.
This was a thrilling experience and an overall great way to develop public speaking skills. It also taught me how to adequately communicate my understanding with others. Additionally, I learned to truly appreciate teachers, as well as the time and effort they put into preparing the lesson. I’m certainly looking forward to the next Shadow Teaching Day.
Written by: Amy Abi Badra, Grade 11
