HIGH SCHOOL HANG OUT - TEENAGE OBSERVATION**

Today, there were some high school students hanging outside the school for a little while. This is unusual because, as I posted earlier, they are usually chased away by the police officer(s) who works at the school. Today I as able to observe about 7 male students relaxing in the gorgeous spring weather. They were all black or hispanic. One boy came later, who could pass for white, and was teased with the name "gringo" before he chased one of the boys away from the group.

They talked quietly among themselves about someone named Pedro and other things going on in their life. One sat on a parked car and a few leaned on a parked car and a few were standing. They also had a few basketballs so they were bouncing them and started bouncing them together a little bit before they were told to leave. Two police officer/security guard soon came and told them that they had to leave. One said that he was waiting for his mother, but his comment was ignored as if it wasn't true. She repeated, "You can't stay over here." The police officers stayed after the boys left told others to keep walking. I soon heard the male police officer yell again, "You have to get out of here." The female officer said, "Common' let's go" after another minute or two passed.

Observing those boys made me think of what it was like to be in high school when we were able to sit outside with a large group of people the same age and just talk. I did that so much when I was their age that, as an adult, I often wish I was doing something more productive. Looking at them today made me appreciate that experience and think about how rare it is that we do that as adults. I guess we may plan to meet a group at the park or barbeque in summertime, or inside in a nightclub, but it's planned. It's never spontaneous like that because we don't have the time. When we do have the time our friends may not.

I wonder if adults working with kids often come across as not understanding the value of such interactions because us adults have an agenda and are getting paid to educate, not to foster hanging out, or chillin'. I guess as a teacher, you try to incorporate this bonding experience in various ways, such as school trips and group work. Research says that the arts also support positive socialization and I think art class is often an outlet for students to continue creating the bonds having positive social experiences.