Observation Exercise

Two States of Being

This first image of the baby reflects what she does approximately half of the day.  In this moment her sleeping appears particularly idyllic as the setting sun shines just so through the purple drapes and the bedding in the foreground looks unrealistically soft. 

When she is not sleeping (or eating), there's a good chance she is crying.  Out of several photos I took of her during this tantrum, this one seems to distort her features the most--her nose, especially, looks more bulbous than usual, and her face is just starting to darken.    

Sock Mittens

The opportunity for this unplanned photo came came when I was taking different pictures of her face.    Her socked hands (garbed in such a way as to keep her from scratching her face with her razor-sharp nails) stuck out to me because of the deliberateness of what she was trying to do.  It is true that babies this age cannot do much in terms of body and mind working together, but here is one thing they can do: hold onto things.

Thursday, May 15, 6:55 a.m. (Light at the end of the tunnel)

This is what the halls look like half an hour before any students arrive; it is also what they will look like in just over two weeks when school gets out.  The distance away from the door/light is not entirely reflective of the temporal distance to the end of the school year.  However, the last two weeks of the school year--when students and teachers alike do not want to do anything--has the potential to go very slowly.

Movies in Class

The cinematic experience in school: light seeping in from the skylights and door and a complete lack of stadium seating (the screen is obscured even when watching between rows).  Despite these shortcomings, there is still a certain amount of collective respect shown when an engaging film is playing: heads up, everyone awake (despite initial protests of watching a black-and-white movie).