Blog 1: Does Academic Settings Effect Behavior?

Earlier this week we discussed what our ideal english classroom would look like and lots of people agreed that they would want to have a class where they wouldn’t be shamed for being themselves or making mistakes. This reminded me of what I’ve been reading during silent book club in The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. While reading, I noticed the protagonist, Starr, often feels conflicted about who she is as a person. This is due to the fact that she goes to a upper class private school but lives in a lower class residential area. She claims that she feels like she has to be a different person when at school instead of who she is at home. This got me thinking about whether or not I change personalities around different people or settings? After thinking for a while I realized that I in fact do act differently in different situations. For example, I’ve had many friends say that when they first met me they perceived me as quiet and reserved. However, after our friendship grew they soon realized that is far from the truth. So what does this mean? I believe that as we get to know people, we grow more comfortable around them. Meaning we feel more free to let down our guards and stop worrying about how we will be perceived. This allows us to be our true selves because we no longer have to worry about being judged. This is very important for a learning environment, such as our English class, because just like with people, it’s only in an environment where we feel truly comfortable that we can express our true feelings and stop worrying about being looked down upon for not being perfect.