#243, Metamorphose
Grade six is when everything changes. It’s like someone suddenly turns the lights on and you can see yourself and your peers in proper light. The games you used to play seem so obviously childish and clothes you used to wear? Completely unwearable. Anxiety, envy, embarrassment, and ennui (änˈwē) hijack the control center of your brain. Every interaction becomes a minefield of potential social tragedy. One day you’re playing tag and the next the entire class is shipping you with the kid who gnaws on their eraser.
This change creeps in slowly—a few kids stop playing during recess and talk at their desks. Another group follows suit and sits in the corner, whispering and giggling incessantly. The tipping point is close. By the time the chill of winter has come, the transformation is complete. The classroom that started as one in the beginning of the year has splintered into small self-contained cliques, each with its own unwritten rules and entry requirements. The days of walking up to a classmate and asking, “You wanna play?” are no more.
You’ve metamorphosed into young adults.
To complete this Journal response, address the following:
Describe a particular moment when you noticed this change happening in your class or school. How has it affected the social dynamic between students?
Comment on a peer’s response.
-Brenden Lee Teacher