Setting & Context

The cultural setting in Thompson Valley is diverse and has a depth to it. There are
students attending Thompson Valley which come from a myriad of backgrounds, households,
and cultures. The result is a student body who are identity focused mainly because of their
roots and that they themselves do not know who they are yet or what their dharma may be in
the world. I see this in the students based on the way they dress, where they sit in class, how
they talk, and how they interact with the world and their classmates.

I am in a geography classroom and students within the class show high levels of
interaction mostly because the teacher is a grounded, cool dude! My classroom is small with a
group of 19 students but usually 3-4 of that sum is absent due to some unbeknownst reason, so
the class count usually sits around 16 heads. This means the class moves incredibly quickly
through content and Mr. Costanza is left having to find additional supplementary material for
them to cover. Furthermore, the class is a quiet, hard-working bunch who prefer to do work
independently and within the classroom. So, Mr. Costanza usually has projects or small research
assignments prepared for his students. He has the same projects for other classes but only this
class finishes their work during the period, the other class usually has to take home their
assignments to complete.

The classrooms also has a staggering gender ratio, it is about a 4:1 guys to girls. That
means Mr. Costanza, as well as myself, have to keep their attention and make sure they do not
become too rambunctious. Many students in the class play a sport, there are several football
players, 2 wrestlers, and a few baseball players which I have yet to meet. Students are also
involved in several clubs including gender and sexuality club and art club.

Many students do not take a terrible interest in Geography, but I think they just get tired
of sitting in desks in a dark classroom all day. The students are surprisingly well behaved so class
usually goes smoothly.

The macrocosm of Thompson Valley seems to be solid. There are many opportunities
and pathways for students to explore. There are sports, clubs, and programs like avid which
seems to hold a lot of promise as well. I do not really see parents in the building, but I am sure
they show their support during game days, at student conferences, and volunteer opportunities.
The atmosphere in Thompson Valley is maybe a little grey and bored. I don’t really know if many
students are excited to be there learning. I get this feeling walking down the halls. The halls feel
a little transparent and maybe slightly animated. Then again, I can’t say how excited I was to be
there. It may also be the shape of the building, it feels as if I’m in a never ending hallway and
that I do not see the light of day. Also, the classrooms are dark and dingy. Admin tried to fix the
classrooms with softer lighting but I think schools need windows (what a concept). However,
most students can get outside and usually migrate away from school to get lunch at Zigi’s or
KingSoopers which I think is super (pun intended). No seriously, I think its great students get
freedom and the chance to go outside.