This television show that first aired in the early 90's and was also the subject of multiple picture books, shows the almost ideal educational experience for most students. The show is based on one teacher's class and their many exciting field trips. Ms. Frizzle takes her students places that weren't actually possible when the show aired and some aren't even thought of as a possibility now. Whether they are traveling to the moon and back in just one school day or they are going inside another student's body to figure out why they are sick, the students in Ms. Frizzle's class are always learning something. All of these trips happen with the help of their handy magic school bus that can shrink, fly, or become a submarine.
These students are given an amazing opportunity to explore the world around them in a way that most students (and students in real life) can never experience. They are able to do this through the encouragement and somewhat insane ideas of their teacher as well as the fact that their parents don't always know about their crazy adventures.
These students are given this opportunity and with the help of their teacher and their magic bus, they are able to utilize it. This TV show relates to my inquiry in that it shows one way that a certain group of students experience school and the way that they take advantage of the amazing opportunities Ms. Frizzle presents them with. Even the one student who is reluctant to participate, Arnold, finds a way to learn and be amazed by the things he is taught.

Every child learns their ABCs, whether it be through a song or with pictures. When I was little my room was lined with alphabet cards. Each card had a letter and an animal that started with that letter on it. With these cards, going to sleep, waking up and playing in my room that I shared with my little sister involved looking at the alphabet. Even though I had already learned my ABCs in school, having the cards reinforced what I had learned and allowed my little sister to learn them before she did in school. When she went to kindergarten she already knew how to spell quetzal, the name of a small bird found in Guatemala that also happened to be the animal pictured on the "Q" card taped to our wall.
Whether it was on purpose or by accident, through putting those cards on our walls, our parents filled our days with learning. They enforced the learning of not only the alphabet but also the spelling of names of animals and what they looked like. Every night before I drifted off to sleep I read the cards and looked at the pictures, making sure that each picture and letter was ingrained in my brain before I closed my eyes. This was one of their first of many steps towards making sure that we were given every opportunity to learn and to expand our knowledge. From reading to us constantly to talking with us and having discussions with us, they encouraged us to learn new things everyday. My little sister went on to go through a phase of knowing every name of any dinosaur you could think of, my little brother, as his friends at school like to call him, is a "resident bird expert." With everything that my parents did they encouraged learning over meaningless activities. When I am asked what TV shows I watched as a child, I can name a few but it is easier for me to name my favorite climbing tree at my childhood home. For the most part my siblings and I played outside climbing trees and catching lizards, learning hands-on about the world around us. Whether or not it was because of those ABC cards on our walls, my sisters and I were brought up with a love of learning new things that is still strong in all of us today.

In the second half of the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Junior begins to face even more discrimination on the reservation for his choice to leave for school. However the students and teachers at Reardan slowly start to accept him. Before he is really brought in as one of their own, Junior faces some issues. One of these issues is the teachers thinking he isn't smart just because of where he comes from. A particular incident was when his science teacher claimed petrified wood was wood, Junior knew that it was actually made of minerals that over time replace the actual wood but stay in the same shape. When he tried to tell the teacher this, he just wrote him off, but then when the so-called class genius said the same thing the Junior did, he was praised. "I remember when people used to think I was smart. I remember when people used to think my brain was useful" (pg. 86), having the teacher just be quick to assume that because of his skin-color or where comes from he isn't smart enough made Junior feel like he wasn't smart enough even though he was.
After the incident with the science teacher, Junior attempts to make friends with the class genius, Gordy. Through the help of his new friend, Gordy, Junior learns that while it is important to be a part of a community, he also has to figure out who he is without the community. This is exactly what being shunned by his tribe members from the reservation lets him discover.
Along with his hardships with his tribe and the lessening troubles at school, Junior is hit with  unexpected loss. First his grandmother, who he looked up to as a role model, gets hit by a drunk driver and dies in emergency surgery. Then his dad's best friend, who was like an uncle to him, is shot in the face after a bar brawl. Filled with grief, Junior misses a lot of school and when he eventually does come back, one of his teachers decides it's a good time to mock him for missing so much school. She says"... I didn't realize you still went to this school..." and when she does Gordy stands up and drops his textbook on the ground, every single other student in the class follows suit and they walk out. Through this, they show Junior that they love him, that they will have his back. That is more than his tribe on the reservation ever did. By stepping out of his comfort zone and challenging himself through going to a new school, he proved his worth, not just to others but to himself as well. He learns that "[t]he world is only broken into two tribes: The people who are a**holes and the people who are not" (pg. 176), he figured out that it doesn't matter what color your skin is, it matters if you are kind, and if you stick up for the people around you. 
Another big part of Junior's life, both at Reardan and back when he went to school on the reservation, is basketball. When he was going to school on the reservation, his former best friend, Rowdy, was always more aggressive and scored more points. However, when he got to Reardan and made the Varsity team, he became good because that was what was expected of him. He calls this "[t]he power of expectations" (pg. 180). His team, his coach, and himself expected more of him so he rose to those expectations. When it came down to playing the high school on his reservation, he was nervous, and scared but his coach knew he could do it. "Do you understand how amazing it is to hear [you can do it] from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It's one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they're the four hugest words in the world when they're put together" (pg. 189). Having someone believe in him was what he needed not only for winning that important game, but for succeeding in school and in life. By leaving the reservation, and actively searching for a better chance in life Junior found a community full of adults and students he could depend on and who wouldn't just look at him as a scrawny somewhat deformed kid, but as a young man who could one day make a difference, and "be remembered" (pg. 112).

Not many kids have the guts that Junior did when he decided to chase his chance at a better life, nor do they have the kind of support he did. He was lucky that his parents wanted him to succeed and wanted him to chase his dreams. The environment he was in at the high school on the reservation wasn't one where he would be able to thrive, not just because of the lack of funds the school had, but also because of the number of kids who picked on him. By transferring, he not only gave himself a better chance, he also gave himself a better learning environment where he was surrounded by people who believed in him.
I am extremely lucky and fortunate that my parents are able to provide me an amazing education, but most importantly that they believe I can accomplish my goals and succeed. Having a support system is very important and something that is hard to do well in school without for the majority of students.

In the next part of the book that I read, Holden decides to leave Pencey before he is actually set to leave. Since his parents don't know that he was kicked out of school, he decides to head to New York for a few days before he goes home. One part in particular that stood out to me was on his train ride from Pencey to New York, he sits next to a mother of a classmate of his. This mother seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that her son is, according to Holden, "the biggest bastard that ever went to Pencey" (pg 61). Most mother's try to see the best in their children, to the point of almost overlooking the not so great behavior in some cases. As Holden said, "Mothers are all slightly insane" (pg 62), they believe that their children can do no wrong to the point where no one would be able to convince them otherwise even with solid evidence.
Through this interaction with his classmate's mom on the train, the readers are given an idea of what the parents of students at Pencey think about the school. This particular mother is convinced that her son is having the best time, and is doing amazingly well. He might be, but it makes you wonder if Holden's parents have the same idea of what life at Pencey is like, and Holden is obviously not doing so well there. 
Later on, Holden talks about his little sister, Phoebe. Every time he mentions her though, he says "old Phoebe." As he continues on to say that she is extremely smart, and was always listening and contributing to conversations between Holden and his brothers from the time she was really young, you come to see why it is that he says "old." She has an old soul, and acts older than her years.
This description of his sister, and his earlier description of his brother that died show that he loves his family a lot.

In the next few chapters in the book, Holden gives the reader more of an idea of what is life at his boarding school, Pencey, was really like. Between the odd behavior of the boy in the room next door and the narcissism of his roommate, it seems as though Holden's dorm life was far from boring. At one point, Holden's roommate asks him to write his English paper for him because he has a date and won't have time to write it. This struck me as odd because Holden was flunking out of school, in all subjects, including English. However, then his roommate continues on to say that Holden can't "do it too good" because their English teacher thinks Holden is "a hot-shot in English." This made me think that maybe Holden does in fact have the potential to do well in school, but he chooses not to try. The essay he ends up writing for his roommate is about his younger brother's baseball mitt. His brother, Allie, had passed away from Leukemia a few years earlier, but Holden had kept his baseball mitt that was covered in poems that Allie had written on it. This story that Holden recounted showed some of the pain and suffering that Holden had been through up until this point in his life. It gives you more of an insight into maybe why he is the way he is.
At another point in the story, Holden talks about how he often horses around to keep himself from being bored. One time he is horsing around, tap-dancing in the bathroom while his roommate shaves, and he says "all I need's an audience." Does his need for an audience, need for attention, fuel his constant rebellion against the school system? Does his getting kicked out of multiple schools have anything to do with this need for attention? His statement of his need for an audience made me think that maybe he doesn't try because he gets attention from it. When he doesn't try, when he fails, he gets attention from teachers, fellow classmates, and maybe even his parents. His parents sent him away to boarding school and maybe he feels that the only way he can get their attention is by doing so horribly in school that they are forced to look for a new school that he can attend.
These few chapters also showed more of the school experiences that the other Pencey students might have had. His roommate is "Year Book handsome" going on dates with girls from schools near Pencey every weekend, while the boy next door hates everyone and everyone hates him. These are two very different experiences of school and Holden's is somewhere in between.  By showing more of the lives around Holden, the author helped show how different student's experiences can be even when they attend the same school.

In the book, The Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger, a boy named Holden Caulfield is struggling in school, however he seems to be doing so intentionally. In the first two chapters that I have read of the book, Holden explains that he has either flunked out of or "quit" multiple boarding schools in the past. He seems to not care what kind of effect that this behavior could have on his future. He finds the prestigious boarding schools that his parents send him to "full of phonies." He doesn't like the way that the teachers and administrators act around the parents, or the way some of the schools promise to "mold boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men." 
Towards the end of the first chapter, Holden is headed to his history teacher's house to say good-bye before he is sent home. His teacher, Mr. Spencer, seems to be upset with Holden's attitude towards school, and his education. At one point during the visit, Mr. Spencer asks Holden if he even cares, and if he realizes that flunking out of so many schools will damage his future. To these questions, Holden seems to be almost offended. It seems as though he doesn't want anybody's opinion on the matter, even if they are trying to help. He is focused on the present and has yet to start thinking about the future.
In some cases, kids that have this attitude towards school don't have a good support system of people who care about them and whether or not they succeed. This, however, may not be Holden's case. His parents have yet to make an appearance in the book, but they care enough to send him to good schools despite his track record. This could be for their own benefit, but it might be for his as well. Holden also has teachers like Mr. Spencer, who seem to care if he does well in school or not. Mr. Spencer was worried about him, and how his actions could seriously damage his future.
I have never had to struggle with not having people support me in school. I believe that the support of my parents and all of the amazing teachers that I have had over the years has really encouraged my to love learning, and helped me to succeed in school. Holden, in the book, doesn't love learning, he often finds things to be "boring," and hardly tries to find a way to make learning entertaining. This may be part of his problem, he is too focused on not caring and how "boring" learning is that he is letting the opportunities that he is presented with pass him by.
This book connects with my inquiry through Holden's unique experience with school. As I continue to read the book, I hope to figure out why it is that Holden has the attitude he does towards school, and what or who might have influenced his thinking.

In the essay by Meira van der Spa reflects on her schooling experiences and how she redefined her view on learning. Up until she was eight years old, Meira was home-schooled. She explains that her parents were both active in her learning process, and made sure that she understood the concepts they were teaching and didn't just memorize the facts. When she began to attend a public school, she discovered that the teachers there were less interested in having the students really learn a concept and were more focused on how well they could do on tests. She recalls a time when she asked her father a question about how objects look different underwater, and instead of just giving her an answer like a teacher at her school would, he left her experiment and discover it on her own. 

Meira says that in her school experience she found that she was almost forced to find something that she was good at and tell herself that the rest were things she was bad at. "... conventional education often leads us to base our perception of ourselves on our limitations, rather than on our possibilities," she found that after she let go of this perception, she was able to expand her interests and find out what she was really good at, and what she truly enjoyed doing.

This is something that I struggle with, along with many other people my age. The pressure to decide what we are good at based on only twelve years of school and hardly any time spent actually trying to discover what we are good at and enjoy is huge. Having a learning experience like the one Meira's parents gave her, where you are encouraged to not just accept what you are told, but actually figure it out on your own, is one that every child should have access to. 

This reflection essay relates to my topic in that it explains one experience of school, and how it affected the person's future. Meira decided not to let her schooling experience define her, and she chose to become her own teacher, and her own motivator because her teachers weren't enough. She was able to "... reject the idea that [she was] limited," and pursue what she really wanted to pursue. 

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Topic of Inquiry:  Youth experiences of schooling.

Guiding Question: What are the different educational experiences of youth? How do these educational experiences shape their childhood?

Rationale: The experiences that kids have in elementary, and middle school help mold them into the people they will eventually become. I am interested in learning more about the different affects these experiences can have on a wide range of kids, and how these experiences change the way they view their childhood.

Summary: My experience of school is one I look at fondly. I have always enjoyed learning, and being in a learning environment. I personally have never experienced a lack of necessities in the classroom, or bullying on the playground, and I want to learn more about how these experiences affect the kids that go through them. 

Prediction: I hope to have a better understanding of how kids' experiences in school affect their childhood, and their learning experiences.

Book Ideas Titles and Authors:
1. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (Novel)
2. Blubber by Judy Blume (Novel)
3. Listening to Young People in School, Youth Work and Counseling by Nick Luxmoore (Nonfiction)
4. Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson (Novel) 
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indain by Sherman Alexie (Novel)

Discussion:  A child's experience in school can range from one that is without hardship to one filled with constant difficulties. These difficulties range from bullying, and a lack of necessities, to family troubles that put pressure on the child both in and out of school. The way these kids deal with their childhood struggles shapes their future, and how they will look back on their childhood as an adult.

Other Sources: Another source that I will be looking at is the documentary Waiting for 'Superman'. This Documentary explores the effect that our current public schools have on children. The film focuses on the specific experiences of five children who have a desire to learn.