After making some formal introductions to class i'm observing, I retreat into the corner of the room and begin my observation. The students are divided up into 5 groups of 4 and since it was after lunch, many desks hosted drinks. Most are soft drinks but a couple of water bottles and a latte is present. The period starts off slow, as the students are working on case files (this is an AP Government class) but the groups begin to chatter to themselves after a while. For the most part I can not hear what is being said until someone from the group next to me exclaims "what arrrrre they?" "what?" responds coach and blonde girl points to a small box the rando guy is holding "what are they?" rando begins to explain that it is a sea monkey and the blonde girl asks "what do they do? do they swim around?" The next couple of minutes the 5 group is preoccupied with the sea monkey the rando has brought in. Outside of this group, all the other groups in the class except the door group are working on their case files. After a couple of minutes the rando gets up from his seat and places the sea monkey on coach's desk and jokes with coach about watching it, and after getting the approval of coach's protection of the sea monkey, leaves the class. The next couple of minutes is filled with the murmurs and the occasional joke of the students until once again the blonde girl in the 5 group brings up the topic of sea monkeys. "ok, what do they look like?" "what?" "what do the sea monkey look like?" "just look it up." "My dad knows what they look like." "really? your dad is the sea monkey man." the blonde girl proceeds to look up sea monkeys on her phone and exclaim: "they're scary! these sea monkey are scary" and the group, but purple shirt (who is on his phone), dives back into the discussion of sea monkeys which is interrupted by coach announcing that roll call has been taken. Coach then explains the assignment to the class and stresses that the assignment should be done before class ends. Before coach can move back to his seat, the blond girl intercepts him "look at the sea monkey coach!" and proceeds to show him her phone, starting a small discussion amongst them.
I turn my attention away from the group and coach and observe the rest of the class. Most seem to be doing their work, the fukboi group in the back seem very studious while the door group seem to be gossiping about some topic or another. Country girl and purple stripe are on their phone. As I finish my observation blonde girl confides to her group: "I feel like they're going to be really scary." distressed at the presence of the classes' local sea monkey. "calm down" states galaxy shirt "they're in their" he pauses "little habitat." "what if someone breaks it?!" "and what? attack you?" the conversation in interrupted by a cluster of laughter coming from the door group who seem to have finished a joke. I turn my attention back to the 5 group; the blonde girl is playing with the sea monkey and green shirt is working on the assignment, occasionally talking to the others. Galaxy shirt makes some small talk with coach until coach gets up and roves around the class, asking each group about their progress on their assignment. Coach comes back to the 5 group and interrupts purple stripe whos on his phone. "purple stripe what you doing, thinking about jumping fire?" "uh no just" he interrupts into laughter and stretches. Coach does one more sweep and moves back to his desk. Purple stripe continues on his phone while the rest of the group talk about random shit before focusing on the current case. One of the members of the other groups (3 group) gets up and exchanges his paper with another; his group mates on their phones. Red shirt also comes up at this time and accidently knocks over long hair's bag and apologizes. The next minutes continue with most of the groups working, coach moves to the front and begins looking over the files. The door group seem to be off topic, as well as the 5 group, with purple shirt still glued to his phone. After a while coach asks about the progress of the class, starting a mess of comments to erupt. Most of the groups have 3 or 4 cases left except for group 5, who is on their last one (I suspect it is green shirts doing). During this time fancy hair from the door group looks to the fukboi group and makes a face, causing one of their members to laugh. Sophomore looks over and jokingly asks "what? what are you looking at?" Fancy hair returns his attention to his group after making a remark.
Nothing of interest happens, the outlet group seem to be in disagreement and two of their members are in a heated discussion. Red shirt gets up and gets a new case. On his way back he hears the conversation of the door group and joins in by asking the pretty girl "hey didn't he go to your school?" "yeah?" "you afraid of him?" "no" "what you crazy!" exclaims fancy hair. The discussion about the mystery man continues for a moment before red shirt returns to his group loudly proclaiming something about the constitution. Nothing of interest happens, some students get up and exchange their case with another and purple stripe is still on his phone. The 5 group finishes and coach says to turn it in. "do you like the new snapchat update?" "I haven't updated it" replies galaxy shirt. They continue talking as purple stripe speaks to coach and leaves the classroom. Laughter erupts from the fukboi group and coach goes over to investigate as the 5 group continues to talk about snapchat updates. The 3 group start to talk about their current case, with long hair saying "he deserves to die. hes crazy, he's almost 18" (about a minor getting the death sentence). The fukboi group are in disagreement about their topic and I am interrupted by galaxy shirt talking about how gross baloney is and procedes to mimic one "oh im a piece of meat mixed in water." /flailing and waving his body/. Sweatpants gets up and green shirt makes a request, which he refuses, green shirt exclaims "matt! I got stood up by matt!" I look around the rooms and hear the door group talking about pretty girl's brother. Galaxy and coach are joking about facial cleaning and green shirt jumps into the conversation about keeping your pores clean and remarks that galaxy's face is dirty. My interest is stolen by the fukboi group who seem to have gotten on the topic of the democratic nominees. Sophmore believes that Bernie won't win the nomination, which red shirt disagrees with, and then moves on to the republican nominees, focusing on Ted Cruz. This gains the attention of fancy hair and him and the fukboi group talk about Trump and Ted Cruz before going back to their own groups. Red shirts starts to talk about Ted Cruz's eligibility. The country girl from the outlet group whispers to her groupmates "I wonder what she's writing about." "I dunno" and she turns to me before looking away.
The 5 group is talking about serial killers before coach interrupts them, starting the class debate. In the middle of this announcement, purple stripe returns to the class with a box, which he deposits next to coach's desk. The first discussion is about school led prayer, which red shirt defends, making an argument about religion. Coach then picks on galaxy shirt for the opposing argument; galaxy explains how he thinks religion interferes with school. Red shirt attemtps to interject him but coach shuts him down. Galaxy continues and red shirt successfully hijacks the discussion, but 5 group laugh about the matter. Headphones guys responds to red shirt, which after a while red shirt attempts to interject resulting in coach shushing him. Red shirt is able to talk once headphones guy finishes his case and states that a god can be whatever you make it to be and black shirt from his groups remarks "my god is a chair!" At this point long hair complains that red shirt's argument is" violating her ears", which he responds "be mature." They quarrel for a bit until coach lets pretty girl make her argument. Red shirt butts in and her and black shirt argues against him. Llong hair makes a joke about red shirt who responds by arguing further, long hair tries to stop him but red shirt is on a roll. Fancy hair complains "why cant we go to school and learn. why bring religion?" Which red shirts starts to interject, but fancy hair shushes him, staring a big argument about praying. The whole class is effectively in chaos, the center with red shirt arguing against fancy hair and pretty girl. I am exhausted at this point. the 5 group makes a joke about the situation calling it a "10 min naptime." Purple stripe is on his phone the whole time. Curly hair raises his hand, but is ignored as coach doesn't see him; coach moves on to the next case and curly hair sadly gives up. Coach states that red shirt's group was ultimately wrong in the decision and fancy hair's group was right, leading to fancy hair to give a winning look to the fuckboi group and points and smiles at red shirt. At this time some of the class is paying attention to the squabble, but most are on their phones. Black shirt and red shirt explain the decision on case 2 and coach allows earphones to speak. Surprisingly, everyone turns around and faces him while he makes his case. Curly hair adds on to headphones but the attention is stolen by the ensuing argument between long hair and the black and red shirt duo. Coach then states the verdict, resulting in red shirt to interject and black shirt continues his case. Fancy hair makes comments about the constitution and along with long hair, argues against black shirt.
The 5 group makes another joke about the situation and red shirt and long hair are in heated discussion. Long hair repsonds to red shirt "be mature everest, be mature" /makes a face/. Red shirt starts to fire back but coach intrutps and gives in the final verdict and moves on to the next case. The next squabble starts with galaxy defending his choice. Red shirt starts to interupt but coach stops him, leading the door group to burst out laughing. Purple stripe is still on his phone this whole time. The class moves onto the next case, which fancy hair takes over. During this discusion purple stripe and galaxy play footsie (purple stripe is still on his phone). Coach then picks on galaxy, who mumbles a half-assed reply (about book cenorship) "well.. if you think about it, we learn from books. we shouldnt be censoring these books". Green shirt laughs at galaxy's obivous bullshit. Coach gives the verdict and moves on. During the next dsicussion black shirt makes a remark about weed, which pretty girl responds about the school's weed problem. Black shirts defends himself saying that people don't smoke weed at school. Fancy hair interjects saying "really! i met a lot" and pretty girl adds on about how people smoke weed in the bathroom (shes right lmao). The discusion then turns to locker searches, which coach and galaxy discuss. Headphones and red shirt start to joke with each other during this time. Coach makes the verdict, ushering in weed jokes by the class. Letterman girl walks in at this time and sits with the 3 group. Red shirt is hellbent on arguing about the weed case but coach moves on to racial profiling. Fancy hair raises his hand to respond and says jk when coach pick him. Coach then picks on 3 group, striped girl has to state the group's opinion as long hair is applying make up. Coach hurredly gives the verdict; class is almost over and I can taste my freedom. Some of the students start getting ready to leave, the fukboi group are off topic while coach talks about the current case. I know class is almost over when I start to hear a 'thunk' and some sounds coming from the classrooms and hallways. Then the bell rings and class finishes, and thus ends this report.
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