Chapter 4:

What rituals and routines shape classroom life?

Rituals and routines are very important in a classroom, they shape the classroom life. Routines are found in almost all schools, and these routines include a schedule where students and teachers both are aware of lunch, subject learning, and class dismissal. In some schools, a ring or bell is usually ranged across the school so students can proceed to their next classroom or break, and teachers can attend their next class. Classroom rituals are probably the ones that take time away from learning. Usually teachers take attendance, have students take out materials for learning, or a classroom discussion is in the process. When students are given materials to learn like passing out papers of activities or collecting homework, this can be time consuming but it’s all part of the classroom life. In my opinion once students have a week in a classroom they learn the routine of the classroom, if its turning in homework as the first thing in the morning or taking out their text books to start learning in a certain subject. Rituals and routines give class structure and help students know what is next in the schedule.

How do gender and peer groups influence children in elementary and middle school?

Gender and peer groups influence children by the same interest they share. Most of the time children will have friends with the same interest and likes. In elementary most boys will just play with boys and girls will just play with girls. Hardly is there cross-sex communication during the elementary years. Once children start growing up and start to head to middle school, children can get cruel. Transitioning from elementary to middle school can be hard because children are also going through puberty. Most children can also find it hard to transition schools and adjust to puberty. In this stage children are mean and they form social cliques and gender-based segregations.