Different Worlds... But We Are All The Same

This week I began observation in the physical education classes at Meigs High School. I learned about the school in general, as well as classes individually. The more time I spent observing the classes, I started to realize similarities and differences to my past high school experiences. I discovered information this week that I never thought I would be interested in, however I believe it is important to know the school that I will spend hours in during my observation.
Meigs High School embodies 632 ninth through twelfth grade students. Ninety-eight percent of those students are white Caucasians, leaving only two percent to other ethnicities. There is not even one other ethnicity that encompasses ten individuals. As I discovered information about the school and its students, I learned that sixty percent of the student body is economically disadvantaged. Basically, this statistic shows that 379 of the 632 students enrolled at the school are receiving reduced price or free lunch. According to the information in found on school’s report cards this is a high end percentage of students. Another statistic I discovered was that nineteen percent of the student body has a disability of some kind. These disabilities include everything from learning disabilities to severe handicaps. For example, twenty-eight percent of the students are on an IEP.
The school is equipped with all the essentials required for a functioning school. The office is located right inside the main doors, and is available for the students when they need assistance. The guidance counselors are also available for help with schooling or future plans. The building itself is in good condition, and has had some obvious renovations since the building opened. The library, gym, and computer labs are available for non-core subject education. With these extra facilities available the school is able to have many after school programs. The athletes have interscholastic sports, while other students can participate in religious, cultural, or fun clubs and groups that give them something to be a part of.
The gymnasium is where I spent my time during observation. The physical education teacher’s name is Tim Dunn. Throughout the day he teaches freshmen and sophomores with an occasional junior thrown into his classes. The first period class is composed of twenty one students, including eleven females and ten males. Twenty of the students were white Caucasian, and one student was African American. I noticed one girl in particular who was excessively overweight. Her body composition restricted her ability to move quickly or effectively. The second class was relatively small. Only nine boys and five girls combined to make a class of fourteen students. Once again, only one African American student was enrolled in the class, and all the others were white Caucasian. There were no obvious disabilities with the students in this class, but I was told that there was a student who has severe back problems who cannot do much in terms of participation. Finally, the third period class had eighteen students. The thirteen girls outnumbered the boys who represented only five-eighteenths of the class. Just like the other two classes, all but one student were white Caucasians. However the other student was Hispanic, not African American like the previous periods. All of these students participated in physical education class on the hardwood floor in the gym. The basketball court is lined in maroon lines which are used for organizing in the physical education class. The rest of the gym was full of school spirit. There is a maroon and gold stripe that runs around the entire gym, and the curtain on the stage is equipped with the acronym for the school. Even though the gym at Meigs high school is obviously old, the place is well kept and has been updated. All of the equipment used inside the gym is in well repair and useable by the students.
The environment at Meigs High School was new for me. I grew up in a thriving town that was awarded the sixteenth best place to live in the United States. My high school was only nine years old, and I had 600 people in my class alone. Even without freshmen on campus, I attended school with roughly 2000 students. I would see a new face pretty much every day, and I have a feeling that probably does not happen at Meigs. I do not believe the size of Meigs is a bad thing. I always thought small town’s feel where I knew everyone would be great. At my high school, everyone had their little group of friends and that was it. Size is not the only difference I noticed. According to my high school’s report card, the percent of students who receive reduced or free lunch was two percent. Once again, a number that is much different from what I observed. Even though my high school experience was different, I am sure it had its similarities. As I walked around the gymnasium and listened to the students conversations I began to realize something. I realized that even though Meigs and West Chester are on different sides of the state, all of the students are still teenagers trying to survive some of the toughest years of their lives. I am sure everyone worries about the same things; grades, relationships, getting in trouble, sports anxiety, and wanting to be liked by their peers.
Observing at Meigs and learning information about the whole school, as well as individual physical education classes, has made me realize that no matter what school is school. Even though not everyone has the same experiences, does not mean that any area is better than anywhere else.

What Have I Dunn?

I attended a volleyball game at Meigs High School on Tuesday at 6:30PM. The game was held in the school’s regulation gymnasium. This gymnasium is a typical high school gym, equipped with wooden fold out bleachers, a hardwood floor, and six basketball hoops. One end wall is covered in banners that stated what sports and the years that sports had won conference, district, and regional championships. The banners date back to 1962 and have years dating all the way up to 2006. A stage with a full maroon curtain, with yellow letters that read “MHS”, is located on the opposite end of the gym. There is room on either side of the court for the bleachers to be pulled out, but only one set was being utilized by the volleyball game. A very nice volleyball net was set up mid court. It had the proper padding and was in good condition. All of the equipment in the gym was in very good condition, even though the building was older. Also, I noticed that the facility was clean and very well kept. Not only was the facility nice, the clothing the people were wearing was in well repair. The volleyball team had on new uniforms, and matching team shoes. The audience was composed of 95% parents and grandparents, ranging between the ages of 30 and 75. They were dressed presentably, the majority of them wearing jeans and polo shirts. The rest of the audience was high school students there to support their friends playing in the game. I saw all sorts of name brand clothing on the high school students. This surprised me, because from the rumors I had heard, Meigs was one of the poorest districts in the state. The crowd I was observing was definitely not the product of a “poor” area. I noticed that 100% of the room was Caucasian and looked to all be middle class. The audience ate popcorn and hotdogs as they watched their volleyball team beat up on Belpre. As the parents cheered on the team, the students multitasked with cheering and texting on their cell phones. During warm-ups a mix of music was played over the speakers. The mix included music from different genres such as rap, punk, and country. Even though everyone in the room was doing their own little thing, when the national anthem began to play everyone stopped, stood, and showed respect for their country. Overall, I was overwhelmed how “normal” the atmosphere was in the gymnasium.
On Thursday morning at 8:15AM, I went to the high school and observed two physical education classes. The classes took place in the same gymnasium as the volleyball game had earlier in the week. The students were wearing athletic clothing and gym shoes. Most of their clothing was in good repair, but I was noticing that the students in the classes did not give off the same vibe as I received from the volleyball game. These students reminded more of students from where I used to live, in a lower-middle class area. Their clothes were in good condition, but did not scream the brand names, as did the clothing of the students at the volleyball game. Throughout the two classes the students played tug of war, dodge ball, threw footballs, shot hoops, and ran laps. In these two particular classes, there were no students with disabilities, and the students were all able to be active and participate. The students seemed to be having a good time and enjoying themselves. They were laughing and interacting well with each other. I feel as if these students have a respect for themselves and their teacher. They are good listeners and did whatever the instructor said to do. Overall, the students seemed to be pretty calm, and were well behaved, and did not need much discipline. I could tell that the teacher, Mr. Dunn, genuinely cares about his students and their well being. He was sharing ideas of how he keeps them moving and interested for extended periods of time. He is interested in making the students healthier and become lifetime movers.
I believed the information that I gathered from observing would be helpful to an educator. I think that knowing how students react outside of the immediate classroom is a good expression of their character. Also, I believe that it is important to see how parents and the community interact with the students. This is a good way to see what the students have as role models. The norm the community creates is going to have an effect on the students’ work ethic and how they should act. Also, as an educator it is good to have an understanding of the students’ community and background so the instructor does not seem to be a complete outsider. As high school students, the teenagers like to be able to relate to their instructors. Being able to relate to teachers gives the students an opportunity to learn from someone they feel they can associate with.
Originally, I was stressed out about going to Meigs. I was unsure of how I would feel in the community and was afraid that I would feel uncomfortable. After observing a volleyball game and a physical education class, I am feeling much more confident. I am glad I now know a little bit about the area before I go in and try and help out with classes. In conclusion, I am pleased with my placement, and am excited to get to know some of the students and teachers at Meigs High School.