CFHS Day One Observations

This past Wednesday I was able to spend some time in a classroom at CFHS observing...

The bus ride from RIC takes us through narrow city streets lined with tenement houses and factory buildings. A few of the factories stand vacant as testaments to CF's now-faded manufacturing boon. We pass several empty houses with plywood boards tacked over first floor windows and doors. Foot traffic is minimal and we see few other vehicles as our bus driver maneuvers deftly around tight corners and snow banks. Once we arrive at our destination we see how the disheartening landscape contrasts harshly with the vibrancy within the painted brick walls of the high school.

We are met with great enthusiasm by the new principal, who gives us a brief synopsis on the current initiatives and challenges CF is going through. Our group is assigned to different classrooms based on our concentration. I am sent up to the 3rd floor to observe an ESL class where the students are working on computer literacy and research skills. My group arrives while the students are still at lunch. We find a quiet spot in the corner and wait for the class to resume.

A few moments after the bell rings (or beeps, I guess... Whatever happened to the piercing metallic ringing?) the students make their way leisurely back into the classroom. Coming through the door they are still in mid- conversation (mostly Spanish with some English mixed in) with their mates, and many are finishing off some granny smiths from the cafeteria. Almost all are dressed in accordance with the latest trends, except for a couple hoodies and an out-of-place button-down, and there are several variations of personal "swaggers." Some students head right to their work stations, others linger in groups to finish socializing, and others shuffle around the room to kill time. One particular kid, pants sagging precariously low, enters the room mid-rap, gesticulating to an imaginary beat and seemingly oblivious to the presence of his teacher, peers, or observers.

Throughout the classroom there is a wide range of abilities and attitudes. Many students have a firm grasp of the English spoken by the teacher, but others struggle. When they attempt to explain their answers and rationale in their native Spanish, the teacher encourages them to try it in English. The ultimate goal of this class seems to be to enhance the students' understanding of English through simple assignments and basic conversation. The teacher speaks mostly in English, but uses some Spanish for clarification. She is working on a lesson where the students use a particular site to research "junk food," and instructs how to find answers to prompted questions. Most of the students are seated at a row of Dell computers, but some have no access due to some "technological mishaps" (which is an inaccurate term, because a Dell working properly would be considered a mishap). Those not at a computer sit in small groups and chat. My Spanish is pretty atrocious, being a güero and all, so it's a little difficult comprehending at times.

What I can comprehend, however, are the personalities present throughout the classroom. They range from polite to rude, quiet to noisy, and attentive to distracted. The student who stands out the most is Junior, who is currently in a spot of trouble. I learn he has two hours of detention to serve after an altercation earlier in the day. The teacher advises him to "always be calm and respectful," but Junior's frustration shows as he grumbles, "Nobody ever listens to me." Before more light is shed on his situation-- and before the students finish their work-- the bell/beep/buzzer/dialtone thing sounds and the period ends.