FRHS 2015 Homecoming Dance Observation
I had the opportunity to observe the 2015 Fossil Ridge High School Homecoming school dance on September 19. This dance was the first high school dance I had attended in ten years. I wasn't sure what to expect from the experience. I agreed to chaperone the early shift: 7:45-9:30pm. I arrived at the Fossil Ridge High School gymnasium at 7:45pm on the dot and students were lined up from the door to the parking lot waiting to get in. I knocked on a side door where Mrs. Amanda Jones let me into the gym. As soon as I got inside she promptly put me to work helping her put some of the finishing touches on decorations. A student committee had done the majority of the work, but there was still a few more things that need arranged. As soon as I helped move and organize the decorations it was time to open the doors.
I posted up in the corner of the gym where my job was to keep students from "going out of bounds." "You don't need to monitor dancing or anything, just make sure they stay where they're supposed to stay," Mrs. Jones said. I sat back and watched students come pouring into the gym. The majority of the early arriving students were freshmen who had been dropped off by their parents. Only a handful of students actually started dancing the moment they entered the gym. It seemed to be more important for girls to run to one another and compliment their attire, and the boys to shake hands and shrug shoulders. Boys were dressed in suits and ties while the girls were all decked out in homecoming-style dresses wearing high heals that they promptly removed the moment the girls entered the gym.
As time went on, more and more students started to arrive and slowly the dance floor became more popular. As I sat in the corner, it was obvious my job was going to be easy. Students self-regulated and were clearly there just to cut loose and enjoy themselves. The only time a student acknowledged my presence was when/if they found something that needed to go into the "Lost and Found." These items included a hair barrette, a student ID, and someone's ring.
At 9:00pm, a fellow adult chaperone approached me and asked if I would trade spots with the teacher who had been outside in the courtyard. Since the students were allowed to move between the gym and the outside courtyard there needed to be a chaperone out there too. I went outside, sent the other chaperone inside and stood out there for the remainder of the thirty minutes.
Overall, the experience of chaperoning the homecoming dance was extremely enjoyable. I loved seeing the kids laugh, smile, joke, and dance. They seemed to enjoy themselves and the experience. I would happily chaperone a dance again because it gave me the opportunity to interact with the students outside the classroom.
I posted up in the corner of the gym where my job was to keep students from "going out of bounds." "You don't need to monitor dancing or anything, just make sure they stay where they're supposed to stay," Mrs. Jones said. I sat back and watched students come pouring into the gym. The majority of the early arriving students were freshmen who had been dropped off by their parents. Only a handful of students actually started dancing the moment they entered the gym. It seemed to be more important for girls to run to one another and compliment their attire, and the boys to shake hands and shrug shoulders. Boys were dressed in suits and ties while the girls were all decked out in homecoming-style dresses wearing high heals that they promptly removed the moment the girls entered the gym.
As time went on, more and more students started to arrive and slowly the dance floor became more popular. As I sat in the corner, it was obvious my job was going to be easy. Students self-regulated and were clearly there just to cut loose and enjoy themselves. The only time a student acknowledged my presence was when/if they found something that needed to go into the "Lost and Found." These items included a hair barrette, a student ID, and someone's ring.
At 9:00pm, a fellow adult chaperone approached me and asked if I would trade spots with the teacher who had been outside in the courtyard. Since the students were allowed to move between the gym and the outside courtyard there needed to be a chaperone out there too. I went outside, sent the other chaperone inside and stood out there for the remainder of the thirty minutes.
Overall, the experience of chaperoning the homecoming dance was extremely enjoyable. I loved seeing the kids laugh, smile, joke, and dance. They seemed to enjoy themselves and the experience. I would happily chaperone a dance again because it gave me the opportunity to interact with the students outside the classroom.