Principal is a Prep for a Day

Australian Christian College Echuca Principal, Kevin Sourgen, recently set aside his usual routines to spend a full school day shadowing Prep student, Harvey Zeglin, as part of an international initiative designed to help educators better understand student life from the inside.

The pair began their morning on the school bus before moving through assembly, lessons in numeracy, ICT and history, lunchtime in the yard and the school-day rituals that shape a Prep’s world five weeks into his education.

Mr Sourgen said the experience offered a valuable, ground level perspective on learning in the early years.

“I walked in expecting that our classrooms are calm and well structured, but seeing that from a student’s seat brought it into sharper focus. Harvey and his classmates move confidently through routines that help them learn without unnecessary distraction. Observing that as it unfolded was both reassuring and energising.

“At our school we follow a model of explicit direct instruction, which means the teacher clearly explains what students are learning, demonstrates it, and then guides them as they practise. Alongside that, we use strong engagement norms and routines so students know exactly what is expected of them in a lesson.

“Even though this class was only five weeks into Prep, the routines were already well established. That reduces the cognitive load on students because they’re not spending energy wondering what to do next. Instead, they can focus on the learning itself.

“One of the strengths of this approach is that students know they are learning, and the teacher is constantly aware of where each student is in their progress. It creates a calm, purposeful environment where students are engaged and teachers can respond quickly to their needs,” he says.

Witnessing lessons unfold from start to finish highlighted the intention behind the school’s teaching approach and the performance of his colleagues.

“Spending an entire morning across three different subjects let me see the concentration, independence and steady effort our students bring to their work. When you’re in the office, you often see the results, but sitting among the class, you see the persistence and clarity of instruction that make those results possible,” Mr Sourgen said.

“I have to say, it was quite a unique experience seeing my team from the classroom floor and taking instruction on learning to read from them.” 

Mr Sourgen said the day has prompted him to pursue more immersion based leadership practices.

“A brief visit to a classroom can be helpful, but a full day beside a student offers insight you simply can’t replicate. I’m keen to create more opportunities to sit alongside students during regular lessons. It strengthens relationships and deepens understanding of what supports them best.

“Following a Prep student was incredibly valuable, but I think there would also be great insight in shadowing a secondary student.

“Even though I’m a teacher by background, experiencing the entire school day from a student’s perspective - moving through lessons, transitions and the rhythms of the day - gives you a level of understanding that you simply can’t gain from brief classroom visits.”

One of the issues that stood out was just how long the day can be for some of the younger students. A number are catching the bus around 8:00 in the morning and not arriving back at their stop until 4:00 or even 4:30 in the afternoon.

“That’s a long cognitive load for very young learners. It prompted some reflection about how we support students’ focus and energy levels across the whole day.

“For example, many schools have a traditional fruit break early in the day, but it raised the question of whether some younger students might benefit from a small snack or break later in the afternoon to help them maintain their concentration before heading home.”

Prep student Harvey said having the principal as a classmate was “different, but good.”

“It was fun having Mr Sourgen with me. People kept looking at us, but I liked showing him my work and telling him what we were doing. I think he liked sitting on the floor with us too.”

He also offered his own reflections on the school day, “School is great, but it can be a bit tricky sometimes because you have to listen a lot. Your brain gets tired from thinking. I think a student should be principal for a day so we can swap again.”

The initiative, known as “Shadow a Student”, encourages school leaders around the world to spend time learning from students by moving through the school day in their shoes.

Mr Sourgen says, “We want every student to feel well known in our school. One of the ways we do that is by making sure students have opportunities to share their voice.

“That happens through leadership opportunities, but also through regular check-ins where students can communicate with staff through a platform that allows them to share ideas, raise concerns or offer suggestions.

“Because of our classroom structures, staff are also able to have collaborative discussions about students as a group, which helps us understand how students are experiencing school and how we can support them better.”