My Throwback Thursday: Shadowing a Sophomore

It has been about 12 years since I was a tenth-grader. Going back into the classroom after a six-year hiatus, was, in my mind, like starting over from scratch—deer-in-headlights and all!

Sophomore Emily Orr was more than happy to let me follow her around last Thursday, and like some of the other faculty members shadowing our students, I was a little anxious…not sure what to expect...out of my comfort zone. To make sense of and loosely frame up my day, I constructed a scenario where I pictured myself walking into a series of informative meetings (i.e. my different classes), all back-to-back.

It turned out that it was a pep rally day, so my classes were shorter than usual, which really helped provide a great overview of both the educational experience and school spirit at Darlington.

After graduating from college, I quickly got out of the routine and mindset of having to sit still for periods of time. With a mind that goes in 20 different directions at any given moment, I had to work hard to focus alongside Emily on the tasks at hand, and be able to pay complete attention in class. Indeed, this was my main challenge of the school day.

Emily is the quintessential “DAR Baby.” She can trace a portion of Darlington's development and growth during her 10-plus years on both the Thornwood and main campuses, and has collected many lifelong friends at what has been a second home since Pre-K.

Emily and I had been in contact before this shadowing exercise through her Journalism class, and because of some common interests I knew I would enjoy following her around campus. I learned that she is very hospitable, as she would never pass up an opportunity to offer me a snack. And I love snacks! Emily did a great job of explaining different rules from dress code to personal technology use, ensuring that I knew what to expect with each class and encounter that I found myself.

One thing I overheard while Emily and I were in her advisory period at the beginning of the day resonates close to home for me and for many fellow Darlington students, I am sure. 

“Just don’t burn yourself out,” Mr. Kinney said to Emily. “I want you to have a zest for life.”

I knew early from observation that Darlington students were active and well-rounded in a variety of activities, but hearing more about Emily’s busy schedule reminded me of my own high school career. I wanted to do everything. In fact, there was nothing I couldn’t do. From observing, I have seen that many Darlington students appear to thrive on this mindset. There is some adrenaline rush associated with being able to get it all done successfully, juggling a variety of tasks.

I see this same rush in Emily, who manages not only to successfully complete her required coursework, but to also take part in extracurricular activities, servant leadership and sports. Perhaps her zest for life comes from a busy schedule? I’ve certainly been there and respect that.

Our first class of the day was Geometry, which gave me some comfort if I was going to take math at all—it made more sense to me than many other math classes. As I sat down in my desk, I immediately noticed the plaque we have seen all over campus—this one over the white board—encouring students to exhibit honor above everything.  

Most classes that I attended with Emily were laid out in such a way that we were arranged in a circle, sometimes smaller circles, or best described as a "boardroom" setting. The feeling that I got from this seating format was that it was not only encouraged to collaborate when appropriate, but expected. Seeing how we can work together as groups, as pairs, and finding what we can learn from each other have always been valued at Darlington.

Something else I noticed, more obviously, was the technology component. When I was last in high school, everything we did in class was done on paper. All of my notes, my quizzes and my tests were done on something I could easily misplaced. Beyond having that digital format, just knowing a wealth of information was at your fingertips…and different applications and software that bring concepts and presentations—and learning—to life. Sure, technology has changed quite a bit, but even back then I usually had to wait until I got home to do what these students can do instantaneously...and then some. Having a 1:1 technology program on campus gives students the resources they need to succeed. 

Later in the day in World History class, Mr. Schmidt lectured on communism and the events leading up to World War II. Yes, this was appropriate for the age group, but what caught me off guard was when one of my fellow classmates asked for clarification on the differences in fascism and communism.

Any teacher could have given a quick two-sentence response and moved on, but Mr. Schmidt wanted to make sure that we knew and understood the comparisons. Instead of passing right on through, our class took a detour to revisit these ideas. Seeing how our teacher had the latitude to do that without consequence was refreshing. I saw at that moment the importance that the teachers here put on students having a mastery of the subject—forgoing some quick thumb-through so as to satisfy certain requirements.

We promote Darlington as a college-preparatory school, but I think we can take it a step further. There were several times during by school day—even as a "sophomore"—where I knew we were learning and applying college-level concepts.

Two brief examples of many: One of the textbooks that we used in World History is the same book found in a college-level introduction course. I found another example in Spanish, when Ms. Lambert was teaching about the subjunctive tense of verbs. I did not even learn this concept until my first Spanish class in college. ¡Qué bueno!

I ended my day with Emily on the field at lacrosse practice in 30-degree weather. After some "pleading," Coach Dulaney let me go on home, as the girls on the LAX team spent another 90 minutes getting ready for an upcoming match. Emily and I bid a freezing farewell as I took in all that the day and my new tenth-grade friend had both taught me about the student experience at Darlington.

As I warmed up in my car on that cold February afternoon, I came away with a great appreciation for these Tigers. As “mature” as I considered myself in high school, I feel like these students could have taught me real maturity and responsibility.

Our students are well-rounded. Our students are hospitable, friendly to talk to and genuinely interesting kids. Our students carry themselves like adults. Our students have the resources and faculty/staff support that they need to succeed.

Our students can teach us a lot, and you might just say that I got schooled; schooled in what it is truly like to be a busy Darlington sophomore, running around from one corner of campus to the other as successfully juggling everything that this semester holds.

Note: Luke Chaffin is one of 18 administrators, teachers and staff members participating in Darlington's shadowing exercise to get a firsthand look at what the Darlington experience is really like for students of all ages.