For my Method practice report, I decided to take the observation route. Every day, I travel on the B6 bus to get to and from class and I’m always surrounded by young kids. The majority of the time, they’re high school kids. When you listen to the things they speak of and exactly how they speak, all you can do is shake your head in disappointment. They curse and say highly inappropriate things in front of adults they should have a lot more respect for. One young boy, who mentioned that he was a freshman so about 14 years old, kept discussing the fact that one of his friends was sleeping with another friends older aunt and recorded it! I was completely disgusted because of course, based on how I’ve described their language; you should know the exact curses and terminologies this young man was using. I just kept thinking there has to be some hope, this can’t be it for today’s youth so I decided to remain hopeful and listen in another day. I’m so happy I did because what I observed made my heart swell.

This one day in particular, I happened to be standing on a bus filled with high school students yet again, behaving like animals, loud and disorderly. Again I just shook my head with disappointment and succumbed to the fact that this was going to be a long bus ride. The next thing I know, I was looking at a little boy doing homework with his slightly older sister. They were elementary school level kids and it just made me so happy to see them not get sidetracked by the madness around them. Young kids are often influenced by the older kids but they didn’t even bother to give them any attention. The little boy even voiced his frustration and said “I don’t get this Maddy” and started to pout. She quickly shrugged that off and said, “C’mon, we just did one similar to this one, try again.” They proceeded like this until it was time for them to get off the bus and I watched the little girl help her younger brother off the bus. They went on their merry little way holding hands to cross the street together.

Deciding to observe kids around me was in my efforts of proving me wrong. All school kids aren’t wayward and disruptive and use foul language; some still do have respect for their elders and don’t feel the need to behave in a manner that doesn’t reflect their personalities and some behave the way their parents or guardians hope they would when they leave home. Seeing that brother sister duo gave me the slightest bit of optimism for today’s youth, there will always be a diamond in the rough. If I had to use this method for my own personal research, I would because it gives me the raw, untainted results you truly need with children. They aren’t coerced into behaving the way you’d like them to and although sometimes it’s a little too raw, you have to just roll with the punches.