Day 2

Day two (February 14):

Today I worked with Riley. We went through a quiz over parts of literature such as identifying the plot and the types of conflict within the story. The quiz that she was taking was only a ten question quiz, but it a few of the questions had long stories that went with them. To help her stay encouraged rather than sigh every time she pulled up a question that had a story with it, I told her to read the questions first. I told her about how when I would take tests that had long stories like that I would read the questions first to help me identify what I needed to know to answer the question while reading the question. This proved to be helpful. There were a few times that she would have questions about what the question was asking and we would work through it together. I tried to help her by giving her different ways to approach the question. The one that I told her I generally like to use when I don’t know what an answer is is to eliminate the choices I know are not the answers. Most of the time Riley was able to eliminate at least two of the choices that she was given.  I also helped to explain internal and external conflict after one of the first questions and she was asked a question about it in a later assignment and remembered exactly what I had told her about it. Riley took longer to take the ten question quiz than I would have, but she went at her own pace and actually made a 100. She was so excited because she told me that she never makes 100s. That made me feel awesome knowing that I had helped her. It also made me feel appreciated when she thanked me for helping her.

Riley is 17. She told me the reason she was enrolled at Classic City High was because her and her mom had come to an agreement that it was probably what was best for her. She said that she was too social at the regular high school, Clarke Central, where she had been going. Rather than staying on task and doing her work she said she would talk to her friends. By going to Classic City she said she would be able to pay better attention and graduate a little sooner than she normally would have. Although Classic City High would be ideal for Riley, she said she doesn’t really like it much more than regular high school. She told me that she doesn’t really like having to go through all the lessons on her own and that the lectures she has to sit through and listen to are extremely boring. The monotony of the E-2020 program makes the learning process for Patrice more difficult. At certain times the classroom’s teacher holds small groups. In these small groups they do what teachers would normally do in a regular high school setting like activities to help explain ideas and concepts. Once the students complete the small groups activities the teacher removes some of the assignments from the E-2020 program that the student is supposed to do. Riley likes the small groups much better than the work on the computer program.

Also, while at Classic City High I get to hear some of the conversations that occur between the students. On this particular day I overheard a girl telling Riley that her boyfriend was about to get out of jail in three weeks and then she asked Riley about a boy and when he would be getting out of jail but she didn’t know. Then the girl proceeded to tell Riley about two other boys who had gotten arrested, but Riley was not familiar with them. After the girl who was telling Riley about the boys being arrested RIley looked at me and said “I don’t know who she’s talking about. I don’t like to be around folks like that, that get in trouble and all.” I think Riley may have told me this because she didn’t want me to think that she was the kind of kid who is usually involved in things like that. It’s just interesting to me to hear the conversations between kids her age (17) and know that they have friends who are already in jail. I am definitely in a setting unlike most of my life experiences and I appreciate it. I think it’s extremely helpful to see all different aspects of the education system including alternative schooling like at Classic City High.

On a lighter note, I was told that I looked like I was 17 by one of the girl students and Riley agreed. I’m not exactly sure how to take that since I’m 20, but I took it as a compliment!