Elementary School Observation

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Throughout my final two years of high school I volunteered in kindergarten and first grade classrooms at the local elementary school. Initially I was volunteering to satisfy community service hours, but I found myself enjoying these weekly visits to the colorful and rambunctious classrooms more than I expected. Though high school and elementary school share many common characteristics, I simply prefer elementary school because at my high school I grew so used to the negative environment that the new and positive atmosphere at the elementary school was almost surreal. When you first walk into any school, you’re almost immediately greeted by the secretary at the front desk. At the high school there were usually two secretaries, both preoccupied …show more content…

In a stereotypical situation, some of the girls might be sitting in the corner gossiping about how promiscuous Rebecca is or how handsome Ben looked today while smacking their fruity flavored gum and examining each other’s outfits, secretly judging one another. A group of guys could be chatting about last night’s game or their latest score on Call of Duty all while goofing off and rough-housing while the teacher is still out of the room. Another group of students may be tapping their pencils and reviewing notes or preparing to pass in the last homework assignment all while patiently for class to start. All of these different groups result in a social hierarchy that is not seen in elementary schools. In elementary schools, the children are filled with a wild curiosity so who you’re friends with isn’t a big deal. In the kindergarten classroom there was a young boy with a boisterous and contagious laugh that everyone enjoyed, he was called “Whistler.” Even though he was disabled, none of the students discriminated against him which I thought was amazing; everyone was friends with everyone in elementary school. At such a young age these students had encompassed more humanity in their three and a half feet bodies than some teenagers did in their years of

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