Brianna Boucher & Isabella Gutierrez
Scriptor
Wylie E Groves HS
1st Place
Division 3, News Writing
Informative Feature
The hallways were buzzing with activity when history teacher and counselor Norman Hurns stood near the end of his hallway. The smiling teacher greeted students as they passed; some responded while others paid no attention and hurried past. A familiar face he had not taught in a few years stood out in the crowd. Hurns caught her attention, wishing her luck on her finals, and stopped to catch up with her. The gesture pleasantly surprised senior Emma Godin as she spoke to the teacher she had not had since her freshmen year.
“It was so touching to have him stop and talk to us and wish us luck for the finals and the future, after many years of not having him as a teacher,” Godin said. “Seeing him in the hallway and interacting with not just us, but other students as well, really showed that he cares.”
Teachers are stepping out of their classrooms to introduce themselves to students and regulate hallway traffic. Principal Cathy Hurley gathered the teachers and administration, who agreed that a prevalent issue from that year was the hallways and their disruptive nature. To combat the noise levels, the staff has enacted a “kind movement”. Last year the hallways were crowded and loud, with kids having trouble finding their way through, and hall monitors frequently breaking up big groups of students. “This movement, initiated by the staff, is a step toward a better climate and culture in the school.” Hurley said.
Hurley finds the movement to be a friendly approach to last year’s complications with the hallways. This movement allows teachers to become more familiar with students, and even teachers they don’t normally talk to. The movement requires teachers to be much more present in the hallway this year, and to also help break up large groups or altercations happening in the halls.
“We noticed last year how loud the hallways were and that there was more pushing and shoving than we wanted,” Hurley said. “I think the movement sets a nice tone, it gets teachers out of their room and socializing and smiling at the kids that they don’t usually see.”
This movement promotes not just student involvement, but teacher to teacher interaction as well. Economics teacher Jason Wagner and English teacher Amy Voigt, two people who didn’t usually chat, have decided this trimester to walk together and take that time to get to know one another more.
“Each day, at the start of second hour, I get to enjoy a few minutes walking the halls with my friend Jason Wagner,” Voigt said. “We greet kids, check on hallway ‘traffic’ and talk about our own kids as well. It’s a great way to be part of the Groves Community.”
The gesture, although meant to be small, may be invisible to some students. Senior Katie Voigt was surprised to hear the teachers were moving toward standing in the halls and interacting with students more.
“We’re still all kind of in our little boxes in the hallways, either with our friends or our phones or even homework, so I don’t think a lot of people are paying attention to it,” Voigt said.
However, some teachers, such as physics teacher Brian Stukey, think that at least some students are noticing their efforts.
“I think there’s a small pocket of students that appreciates it, that might say they feel a little more comfortable now that maybe the hallway’s a little more wide open,” Stukey said. “It may be a really small pocket, but again, if you can help one or two students that are uncomfortable moving from second to third hour or something like that, then that’s sweet.”
A main concern for the movement has been to make students more comfortable in the school environment. A widely discussed topic this year has been climate and culture, the overall security and pleasantness felt within the building. The decision to enact a movement is an attempt to not only oversee the conduct in the hallways but also interact with new students. To some students, however, a move toward teachers monitoring our hallways appears to be a move under the scathing and relentless eye of the schools staff. They feel as if the staff are simply just there to police students as they walk the halls trying to get to their next class.
“We’re watched in the commons, we’re watched everywhere else, so when we sit in the hallways we’re kind of just more ourselves,” Voigt said. “All we want to do is get to class and get to class on time.”
The staff and administration expressed an understanding of the concern, but felt the change was necessary to help with attitude in the school. Assistant principal Darren Wilcox believes that since the movement was put forth, there have been significant changes seen in the halls with the teachers and with the students.
“All the teachers are out more than they used to be, and they have exceeded our expectations, the entire staff has stepped up to do their part, and the hallways have been improved tremendously,” Wilcox said. “Our students also have been seen as responsible and respectable, and we are very glad to see that.”
Some students, such as senior Kevin Hillman, find the movement to be necessary and rewarding for their peers.
“I can see that the teachers are trying to make an effort just to be there more for the students,” Hillman said. “I think that if it’s something you need, it’s something good to have because it’s good to have someone to help you.”
Staff members who stand in the hallways every day, such as U.S. history teacher Geoff Wickersham, have been able to notice a significant improvement when they are able to be near busier areas in the halls. “I’ve seen much less negative behavior in the hallways this year than the past couple years. I try to do my part by stopping kids from pushing, shoving, and using bad language,” Wickersham said. “By being present and smiling, I think it brings a more positive presence to the halls, and helps overall to bring a positive improvement to our school.”
Some students do not see the movement the same way that some staff do.
“They’re more like police. And we’re not one of those schools,” Voigt said.“Groves is pretty awesome, we’re not one of those schools that need the teachers always in the hallways.”
Despite some of the negative views toward the change, there are students who appreciate the idea of teachers trying to make the halls a more comfortable place. However, even the students that express excitement toward the movement do not always realize it’s already happening. Senior Taylor Budnar was not aware of the movement but found the idea intriguing. She believes there is a positive outcome from the presence of the teachers and their attitude toward meeting students.
“I feel like it’s kind of cool and a way for students to get around and know who the teachers are.” Budnar said. “There are still some teachers that I don’t know that work here, so that’s awesome to me.”
Students such as Budnar and Godin are able to interact with old teachers, while still being able to meet new staff they’ve never had before. Even though the efforts to make the hallways less hectic or chaotic may go unnoticed by some, the teachers are still hoping the impact will continue to be positive. Students that are seeing the change have recognized the positive impact.
“Meeting new teachers and seeing my old teachers interacting with not only me but also other students really shows that our staff cares about even our everyday lives,” Godin said. “Even though some students don’t notice it, I know everybody is secretly thankful for it. Whether it’s being able to finally maneuver around without running into big groups or saying hello to an old favorite teacher, the movement is positively impacting everyone in the hallway.”