prompt 1

On the way to the middle school that I am volunteering at I notice the neighborhood is on the outskirts of the city so it is less busy. There are many low income housing complexes in the area and the buildings are not in the best shape. Traffic is not too bad through the area.
When I finally arrive at the school it is a pretty big building and I can tell it is old. It is right off of the main road and is easy to find. It is on a nice piece of land and there is a big field behind the school where I'm guessing gym class is held when the weather is nice. After 5 minutes of contemplating and some help from other people visiting the school I head to the back of the school where the door for visitors is located. The hallway that I enter reminds me of pretty much every prison movie I have ever seen, long tiled hallway with a high ceiling leads me to the main hallway and I follow the signs to the main office.
Once in the office I go unnoticed for a few moments then finally one of the secretaries notices me. I explain my purpose for being there and I sign in. I tell them which teacher I am supposed to be volunteering with and, lucky for me, one of the hallway monitors happened to be in the office at that time so they were able to show me where the classroom was. Good thing too because the classroom was on the 3rd floor across from the secret hidden staircase labeled teachers only that I would have never guessed to use.
The doors to the classroom are big in the way old buildings are. I knock on the door and enter just as the teacher acknowledges me as she is giving the class directions. The classroom is very spacious. The building, despite that first hallway, is really a nice, well constructed school. It is obvious this building has a long history. It is a shame because I learn at the end of my visit that this is one of the schools that will be closing next year. The attitude in the classroom is easy going but every bit effective. The students are able speak freely and work in groups most of the time. My first day I am briefly introduced to the class but spend the rest of the time observing the class. It is funny to me to witness the awkward blend of puberty, socializing and education. At this point in their lives, their teacher tells me, socializing is very important to them. I remember this fact from my days in junior high school. Although there are many distractions I am amazed at the discipline of the students. The teacher is extremely nice and easy going and it is nice to see that students do not take advantage of this. I am not saying I am in Pleasantville and there is total cooperation here, but for the most part the students work together and I can easily see the effectiveness of this class. I leave the school and feel relieved after how smoothly the first encounter went. The setting may have been a little intimidating at first but the Teacher and the students themselves were very friendly and welcoming.