It’s 1:45 pm, time for me to head to the high school to pick up my group of students that I transport home daily. I leave the house and go outside,it’s freezing out and there are big puffy snowflakes falling at a fast pace.It’s a very pretty scene to behold. I walk over to my school van, I get in and start the big blue beast, it starts quietly. It’s a very short drive to the high school and usually only takes 5 minutes to get there on a good day. I get to the high school on time today even though the traffic was crazy on route 44. I pull up to my spot in the line and there are about 12 vans in front of me, I’m the last one always. I wait for my students to come out, I have a group of three boys and two girls. They usually come out one at a time, and as each one approaches my van I turn on my bright red flashing school bus lights, as each student enters my school van, into my observational space for this ethnography.

Where they come from…

The students are all from Taunton, Ma, which is located in Bristol County, and it is also situated on the Taunton river. It is nicknamed,” The Silver City,” and it consists of 48.4 square miles. That makes it the third largest city in Massachusetts. The student’s all go to Taunton High School, which is one of three high schools in this city. Taunton has been very popular since 2008, because part of the movie “Shutter Island,” with Leonardo DiCaprio, was filmed here.

My students description’s…

 

Kayleigh is a 17 year old senior, who has brown eyes, and brown shoulder length straight hair, and she wears black framed glasses. She is of an average build for a teenage girl body wise. She is very soft spoken, and speaks in a classy way. She is editor in chief for the school newspaper and likes to write poems and short stories randomly. She is very talented and smart and she likes to read her poems and stories to the group of us on the van.She goes home everyday after school, to do chores and homework. Kayleigh’s family consists of her mom and step dad, her older brother and a younger step sister that sometimes stays over.

Desiree is a 13 year old 8th grader and the youngest of the group. She has light brown, long hair and blue gray eyes. She is a very petite girl with a small build. She’s outgoing and has no problem speaking out quickly in reaction to conversation’s going on. She is always texting her friends on the van. She may be the youngest and the smallest of the group but she has a strong personality. She stays on the van and goes back to the bus company everyday except Tuesday’s,which she goes to the boys club because I’m her mother and I go to college after work. Desiree’s family consists of her mom and dad and her younger brother.

Chris is a 17 year old junior who has brown short hair and brown eyes. He is about 5’5″ and got an average build. He has a goofy, weird personality and is always laughing and acts this way on the van all the time. In school he acts totally different, he’s quiet and reserved ,I guess, from what Kayleigh tells me. He is an attention seeker on the van. He’s always singing out loud and shaking his hands in the air to some music by  Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus. He likes to make people laugh by acting like a fool. He goes to the boys club everyday after school. Chris’s family consists of his aunt and younger female cousin

Jacob is a 14 year old freshman who has light brown hair and brown eyes. He is of an average height about 5’5″ and is very thin in stature. He has a goofy and has a copy cat like personality. He tends to be a follower instead of a leader. He gets in trouble a lot in school and on the van. He is loud and and rambunctious and always smiling also. He likes to tell a lot of stories and they aren’t always true. He sings along with Chris to the music out loud and drives the rest of the group crazy. He goes to the boys club everyday after school. Jacob’s family consists of his father and his father’s girlfriend.

Shawn is a 17 year old special needs student with disabilities, he has down syndrome and mental retardation. He has brown hair and brown eyes and wears wire framed glasses. He is petite in stature I’m not sure of his height, he may be about 5′ tall. He looks to be about an average weight for his height. He is a fun personality to have on the van. He likes to give us hi-fives and he likes to pat people’s hair for some reason. He did it 10 times in a row to me one day. He’s always smiling and gets along with the girls on the van. He likes watching the boys and loves telling them to take a hike. He tries to grab at them and they act all dramatic and it drives him crazy. He tells them to get out ,and to shut up.Shawn goes to the Arc program everyday after school. It’s a program for people with disabilities.

The Important things in life…

These students all have a love for music, that seems to be at the top of the list of likes. Whether they are using ipods or their cell phones, music is one absolute pattern everyday. They all have different tastes in music. Kayleigh listens to rock, Desiree listens to a variety and Chris and Jacob listen to pop and rap music. Shawn just listens to whatever is on the radio. The next best thing would be their phones. texting their friends and going on facebook. Last would be talking about girls or boys that each may like and have a crush on.

My observations and student interactions…

I watch as the teenagers make their way to my van. First there is Chris,who’s actually walking today, he usually does a goofy, dramatic run to my van. He gets in and stumbles, the van shaking as he does so. He has his phone playing “Backsteet Boys,” I want it that way, out loud. He’s singing along and snapping his fingers to the beat. I say “Hello,” Chris just laughs and continues to sing.

Here comes Kayleigh next, walking slowly with her arms crossed across her chest and looking toward the ground. She gets in and greets me with a “soft hello.” I ask her how her day was, and she says,” It was ok.””I am just really tired today, I didn’t sleep well last night.” I say “me too,” it’s been a really long day so far. Kayleigh then tells Chris to turn his non music off, as he’s singing loudly and way off pitch. Chris ignores her and keeps singing.

Jacob gets in the van and goes to the back seat and sits with Chris who is still singing.  Jacob then starts singing in unison with Chris. While he’s singing along , he takes out his big black framed nerdy fake glasses and puts them on. I ask Jacob, where’s your rainbow colored mohawk wig, that you usually put on when you  wear the glasses? He says it’s lost at home somewhere.

Shawn gets in the van with the help of his teacher Mrs. A, and sits in the seat in front of Chris and Jacob. He turns around and goes to grab at the boys. Jacob says “no, don’t touch me,” and  stays within Shawn’s reach for some reason.  Shawn keeps trying to grab at him and keeps telling him to shut up, I’m going to punch you in the face. He then goes to grab at Chris, and Chris moves as far away from him as he can. They are acting loud and crazy,  Shawn tells them to “knock it off,” and to” take a hike.”

Desiree walks really fast, and gets in.She sits with Shawn and says “Hi Shawn,” and he just looks at her. She then asks him for a hi- five but he says no, and turns away. The rest of us ask him and he gives us one. Desiree asks him why he won’t give her one and he tells her to take a hike. Desiree goes on to tell us that he gives her hugs and hi-fives in school, but she don’t know why he wont on the van. I ask Desiree,” how was your day,” and she says it was good, I also ask her if she has any homework. She says, “yes, I have English and Math.”

Chris and Jacob are talking about Cherice,  the girl that keeps going back and forth between the both of them, breaking up with one of them and going out with the other. It seems to be an endless circle. Chris tells Jacob he’s now dating another girl now. I glance into my rear view mirror and see that Jacob has a big smile on his face, “knowing he is going to get his girl back again.” All of a sudden Chris says “don’t touch me,” referring to Jacob. They go on to have a mini slap fight. I tell them to stop, and remind them that they are not allowed to smack each other, or I’ll have to write each of them up, so they stop. “Ohh, that’s my song,” says Chris  as a song he likes is playing on the  radio, and once again he’s singing along to it loudly.

Not like the average high school students…

These teens are different, they don’t focus to much on appearance. I have noticed that they don’t have to have the most expensive sneakers or the most up to date clothes. I have listened to them talk about the way other kids treat them and teenagers can be very cruel. Some of my students families struggle and don’t have a lot of money or have the best of everything. I have noticed that not having the best, doesn’t really bother them. They don’t seem to care much about what others think. I personally agree and think that’s a good thing because having the best does not make one better.

I ask my student’s, “Do you like riding on my van?”

Yes, replies everyone,

Jacob says, “You’re cool”, “I like this riding on this van.”

Chris says “You’re not perfect, but you’re pretty cool,” and they make me laugh.

Kayleigh says “You’re nice, and a good driver,” I like chatting with you.”

Desiree says, “I like riding on here because I get along with these people,” “I usually have a hard time getting along with people my age.”

Shawn says, ” I like this van, and that’s it.”

Desiree and Kayleigh are trying to talk to Shawn again, but he’s telling them to “shut up and leave him alone.” I suddenly feel a pat on my left shoulder from Shawn followed by a quick pat of my head. “There is no reason to worry, Shawn is harmless.” I think it’s a ritual he has, and we all just laugh when he does it. One time he patted my head 10 times in a row, I think it’s funny.

It’s never  a dull moment with this group, I must say. Jacob just spilled his water bottle all over the van floor. Kayleigh says to Jacob,” How did you do that?” and Jacob says to her,” I don’t know.” I’m like thank goodness it’s only water  and that it’s  not  soda or some other colored drink, that would have stained the van rug . Chris starts bouncing up and down on his seat singing loudly yet again, with his hands moving in the air. Desiree and Kayleigh ask Chris to stop and he say’s “No, it’s my song.” Jacob once again starts to copy Chris as always. I tell the boys that they remind me of Beavis and Butthead, a show from Mtv.  Jacob would be Beavis who he resembles, and Chris would be Butthead because he looks exactly like the character, and they both act like the characters on the show. I was a fan of that show when I was their age.

Kayleigh says, I wrote two poems today, in about 20 minutes. She tells me a little about them and they sound interesting.

I ask her to read them out loud .

She says you want me too.

Kayleigh speaks loudly over the noise and asks everyone,”Do you want me to read my poems?”

We all say, “yes,” and she reads them to us.

I tell her she is a great writer, because she is that, she helps me, I ask her for help sometimes, question wise  about my writing class.

Kayleigh says” thank you,” to us for listening. The boys listened and actually liked her poems. They told her she did a great job.

I finally reach the Boy’s club where both Chris and Jacob get off. As they are getting off the van Shawn decides to give them a little push out the door as he’s telling them to get out.

“I say goodbye to them, have a good day, see you tomorrow.”

“They say goodbye to us.”

“Thank god,” says both Kayleigh and Desiree at the same time.

They aggravate me so bad Kayleigh says.

Her turn happens to be next, she gets out of the van and says,” Goodbye Des, see you tomorrow.”

She asks Shawn for a hi-five to go, which he refuses. He just says,” Stupid, take a hike.”

“I say goodbye to her and see you tomorrow, have a good day.”  Shawn’s next to be dropped off, and his assistant is waiting  to help him get off the van when I get there, he gets off.

I say,” Have a good day Shawn” He just looks at me and walks away.

I am Desiree’s mother, so she stays with me while I finish my other routes for the day. She tells me about how her day in school was. I listen and ask about her homework, which she replies that she has a lot to do. She then shows me her progress report for her math class.

I tell Desiree she needs to bring that C up.

She says,” I know, mom, I will.”

One last thing

The next day I ask my student’s one last question.

“What are your plans for the future?”

Jacob replies, “To join the army,” as he start’s showing us his new shoes and boots he got today in school. He is in the Jr R.O.T.C. class. Which I think means Jr recruit officer training cadet. I hope I’m right about this. “I want to be a commanding officer one day,” he says.

Desiree instantly replies ” I want to own a daycare, or be a preschool teacher, and go to college.” ” I like working with kids, she goes on to say, that’s what I want to do.”

Kayleigh softly says, “I want to get the highest degrees in psychology and communications.” “I just want to help someone, anywhere, any place, any time.”” I just want to help people.”

Shawn just says” I want to live with my mom forever and go to the Arc program.” .

Chris says “I want to just sleep and sleep some more.” “Only kidding, “I want to move up at my job at Trucchis Market or go to college someday, or be a mechanic.”

The subculture that unites these students…

Desiree only rides the van because I’m her mother and because I transport the students to her school. The other student’s have either a learning disability or physical ailment , or social problems with the “average normal peers,” that unite them on this van. Some of the student’s have attention deficit hyper activity disorder, anxiety, learning problems, or some forms of mental retardation. Having these types of disabilities unite these individuals on my van. The other factor is where they live or programs they go to.  They are fairly close in distance for drop offs, and that is why they are on my van.

This is my observation of one crazy, hectic ride, with a bunch of unique, rambunctious, american high school teenager’s with disabilities of some sort. T hey really aren’t all that different from the average “normal” high school student. This is how it is on a daily basis, when I drive them. I’ve been doing this job for almost 14 years. I happen to love what I do, it’s fun, and I laugh a lot. This group sure does make me laugh all the time. I wonder what tomorrow will bring, and I can’t wait to see what that will be.