In the historic town of Lexington, the classrooms at Maury River Middle School are small, and the faces are familiar. The teachers stay incredibly involved, and know each and every one of their students personally. With Lexington being so small, teachers have the opportunity to get to know their students closely, and work together in the classroom. Throughout this semester, Mrs. Diette and her 8^th grade English students have given my partner and I an in-depth look at a middle school environment here in the Shenandoah Valley.

Kirk and I first started in a helper class during Eagle Academy time in the mornings. For the first hour of school, students sit in a classroom that most students would call their “homeroom.” For most students, this can be time to relax and get ready for the day ahead. However, for the students that need it, this first period is critical in making sure that they are understanding the content being covered in other classes and are staying on top of their schoolwork. Not only was this interesting to observe, but it was not something that was provided during my time at middle school. This first period proved to be helpful for the students if they used their teacher and her resource correctly.

In Mrs. Diette’s English class during last period, where Kirk and I spent the remaining of the semester, the classroom appears to paint a clear picture upon first glance. Mrs. Diette has the week carefully planned out on the white board in the front of the class. Vocab words, posters, and literary devices are scattered throughout the classroom’s walls. A mini library sits in the corner of the classroom with the quote “books are a uniquely portable magic.” Mrs. Diette is in front of the classroom giving an upbeat presentation with some videos and pictures, and will most likely break the students off into collaborative groups soon. However, if you take a closer look at the students, it paints a blurrier picture. The students cannot seem to stay engaged. The laptops they have open in front of them are probably open to a game, and not the given assignment. The students do not feel the want to participate and answer questions in class, and conversations are being secretly had in the back of the classroom. For the students in Rockbridge county, the majority of them do not seem to have the “love of learning” that one may be able to see in a different classroom or school setting elsewhere.

In 2015, the “on-time high school graduation rate” for Lexington was at 92.4%, which was higher than the national average. As well, over 75% of those on time graduates, went on to attend a four-year college. Based on these positive statistics, it is interesting how Kirk and I observed quite the opposite inside an actual 8^th grade classroom in Lexington. Are the laptops given out so early in middle school a distraction from the learning material? Is this how the last class of the day looks for a normal eighth grader?