Our overall impression of the students in this classroom was quite positive. The students quieted down quickly and appeared task-oriented and interested in the material. There was some fooling around, and a perpetual hum of conversation. The classroom structure seemed fairly relaxed, and the students seemed comfortable in the environment. Students who came to class late were not punished, just reminded of their tardiness. One element which stood out was the fact that the instructor constantly reminded the students to speak in English (not Spanish). It turned out that it was an ESL class, and all of the students except one used Spanish as their first language.
At recess we observed the students breaking into groups of various sizes (2-5), mixing ethnicity and gender. Their interaction was playful and relaxed, consisting of talking, gossiping, dancing and flirting. Conversations ranged from sports to weekend activities and social relations. A few students were by themselves, listening to music or simply standing apart. Students wore clean and casual attire, with sneakers and t-shirts being the norm.
When conversing with students, we found them to be enthusiastic about their experiences at O'Farrell. Students felt that they received a better education, and more personal attention here than at other school locations. They expressed interests ranging from sports, movies, the opposite sex, singing and dancing, to science and math. Adjectives used to describe O'Farrell students included: hardworking, entertaining, outstanding, careful, supportive, motivated, interesting, and helpful.