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Meg Strauss

E405
May 2nd, 2017
Research Project
Introduction:

Cliques seem to play a central role in schools, work, media, and seemingly all forms of

human interaction. Recently, I have noticed the strong emphasis on cliques in regards to

adolescent literature. In Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Charlie finds friends

in Sam and Patricks clique. The same notion is applied to the novel Feed by Matthew Tobin

Anderson, as Titus clique limits themselves to only a few friends, not encouraging the addition

of outsider Violet. Most notably, however, is in the very start of the novel Speak by Lauri Halse

Anderson in which cliques are strongly portrayed. The author writes,

We fall into our clans: Jocks, Country Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human

Waste, Eurotrash, Future Fascists of America, Big Hair Chix, The Marthas, Suffering

Artists, Thespians, Goths, and ShreddersOur clan, the Plain Janes, has splintered and

the pieces are being absorbed by rival fractions. Nicole lounges with The Jocks,

comparing scars from summer league sports. Ivy floats between the suffering artists on

one side of the isle and The Thespians on the other. She has enough personality to travel

between two packs (Anderson, 4).

From the movie Mean Girls to Taylor Swifts recently formed girl squad, cliques often

times are associated with negativity and exclusiveness; however, while reading adolescent

novels, I found myself wondering if cliques were not fully evil. In many of these books, cliques

seemed to help young adult characters enhance their overall identity.

Since cliques seem to be particularly foundational in schools, I felt that as I future

educator, I should know more about cliques, as should all teachers and future educators. In order

to discover the truth behind real-life cliques, I decided the most logical route was to ask actual
middle and high school students. I composed a series of questions, ranging from students

opinions on the healthiness of cliques, to what students feel teachers should know about cliques.

Over the past few months, I have interviewed twenty middle and high school students, all of

which go to different schools.

Their interview responses are transcribed below:

Interview #1:

Jordan StuartPueblo, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Jordan: I go to Central High School in Pueblo.
Me: What grade are you in?
Jordan: Im a junior.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Jordan: Around 200, maybe even less. Its a pretty small class for how big our school is.
Me: Do you feel like there are cliques within your school?
Jordan: Oh yeah, there definitely are.
Me: Can you name some of these clique?
Jordan: We definitely have the jocks and art kids, and then the ones that are just plain popular
and party a lot. But weirdly enough, we all get along for the most part, despite the general
stereotypes.
Me: Do you feel a part of any clique? If so, which clique?
Jordan: I kind of bounce around. Im on the swim team, but Im also extremely involved in the
performing arts (choir and drama). But if I had to pick one, itd be more of a theater kid clique
since performing is what I am trying to go to college for.
Me: Do you see any bullying and exclusion in regards to cliques?
Jordan: Honestly, Ive seen it more in other schools. For whatever reason, the one Im in is pretty
tight and accepting. I think its because of the amount of kids we have. We need everyone to be
involved in more than one thing.
Me: Do you think cliques are healthy in schools?
Jordan: I think they are to a degree. They make you feel involved and part of a family outside of
your family. But I know they can also be bad in the sense of not accepting certain people. I guess
it all depends on the way the group treats others outside its little group.
Me: When do you think cliques begin to form?
Jordan: I think they start forming really young. I first really start noticing them in 4th and 5th
grade.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should they encourage cliques or
try to keep them from forming?
Jordan: Im not sure if stopping them would be completely possible, but I do think they should
monitor them a little better and make sure they arent getting out of hand and bullying others.
But other than that, I dont think they can really stop them from forming. There are things that
just kind of happen no matter what. You even see cliques in teachers.

Interview #2

Abby RodriquezColorado Springs, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Abby: The Vanguard High School
Me: What grade are you in?
Abby: Eleventh.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Abby: Id say there is about 60 of us.
Me: Do you feel there are cliques within your school?
Abby: Yes, there are some that arent obviously cliques, but then there are others that just are,
and everyone identifies them as such.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Abby: There are the choir kids, there are the athletes. Youve got the party kids, and then the
anime nerds that just kind of keep to themselves.
Me: Do you identify with a clique?
Abby: I fall into the more popular group in school. Im not really in one group specifically.
Me: Do you feel cliques are healthy in schools?
Abby: I think for the people within them it is. It feels nice to belong to a group. As long as no
bullying is occurring, it just kind of works out.
Me: Does bullying in regards to cliques happen frequently?
Abby: Not at my school. Everyone gets along pretty well.
Me: Do you feel cliques are essential in forming ones identity?
Abby: No, not really. I think experiences and individual people help form that. Being in a clique
is just one of the ways you experience things.
Me: At what age do you feel cliques begin to form?
Abby: I think around 11-years-old, 5th or 6th grade.
Me: What should teachers know about cliques? Should teachers encourage cliques, or try to
prevent cliques from forming?
Abby: I think they should know that some cliques clash. I don't think cliques should be
encouraged, they're usually exclusive and some kids are always left out. My school has a retreat
at the beginning of year for the high school where all the classes are mixed and we're
intentionally pushed out of our friend groups and cliques and we mix and mingle with people
from other groups. This is their way of preventing bullying by cliques getting too exclusive, I
guess. So I think efforts to prevent cliques should be made.

Interview #3

Blanca MartinezEl Paso, Texas

Me: What school do you attend?


Blanca: Valley View Middle School
Me: What grade are you in?
Blanca: Eighth
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Blanca: About 250
Me: Do you feel that there are cliques within your school?
Blanca: Yes, very many.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Blanca: Athletes, foreigners, musicians, troublemakers, artistic kids, emo kids, cool kids, girly
girls.
Me: What clique do you feel you are in?
Blanca: I usually dont stay in one clique. I have different people to hang out with. Im in
different cliques.
Me: Is it normal for students to be part of more than one clique?
Blanca: Yes.
Me: Do you think cliques are healthy in schools?
Blanca: I personally think people should be able to hang out with whoever they want without
cliques.
Me: Do you think bullying ever comes with cliques?
Blanca: I think every clique has someone who could be a bully no matter what clique they are in.
Me: When do you think cliques begin to form?
Blanca: When people find people they like to be around or who have the same interests
Me: Do you think cliques have students find their identity?
Blanca: Yes.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques?
Blanca: I think they should know how different all the cliques are.
Me: Should teachers encourage cliques, or try to stop them?
Blanca: I guess it depends on what the clique is.
Interview #4

Tanyah ThomasColorado Springs, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Tanyah: Sierra High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Tanyah: Twelfth grade.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Tanyah: About 200.
Me: Do you feel there are clique within your school?
Tanyah: Definitely.
Me: Can you name some of them?
Tanyah: Athletes, student council, cheerleaders, theater kids, band kids, then there are those who
arent really a part of anything.
Me: Do you identify with a clique?
Tanyah: I would say Im a part from the others.
Me: Do students often belong in more than one clique?
Tanyah: No.
Me: Would you say cliques are very exclusive?
Tanyah: Yes, I would say even if you did join in on the groups primary activity, you would still
be an outcast.
Me: Do you feel that cliques cause bullying?
Tanyah: Yes, a group of people who have grown to be like each other begin to start not liking the
same people, which leads to people being ganged up on and talked about because the large group
has support from one another.
Me: At what age do you feel cliques begin to form?
Tanyah: Around thirteen and up.
Me: What should teachers know about cliques?
Tanyah: That there is no way to stop cliques from forming, but teachers should definitely not
encourage cliques.

Interview #5

Isaac StraussHolyoke, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Isaac: Holyoke Junior High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Isaac: I am in seventh grade.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Isaac: Around fifty.
Me: Do you feel like cliques are evident within your school?
Isaac: Yes, I definitely see cliques in school
Me: Are you part of a clique?
Isaac: I would like to say no, but yes, I am probably part of a clique.
Me: What clique would you say you are in?
Isaac: Probably the athletes.
Me: What other cliques are there?
Isaac: There are the athletes, the kids who go to school and go home, the smart kids, and the kids
who watch anime.
Me: Do you think cliques are healthy for students?
Isaac: Yes and no. Yes because it allows students to kind of choose who they are, and they will
easily know who shares the same interests as them. Also no because it is easier for kids to bully
each other and not include other cliques.
Me: Do you see a lot of exclusion in regards to cliques?
Isaac: Yes. Not so much in school, but outside of school you do. Usually one clique doesnt hang
out with each other.
Me: When do you feel cliques begin to form?
Isaac: I think cliques usually form around third grade, but more and more cliques are added as
you get older.
Me: What should teachers know about cliques?
Isaac: I think they should know that they should just not really mess with cliques. If they mess
with them and try to make everyone come together, there will probably be more problems and
more exclusion.

Interview #6

Faith TrenkleMerino, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Faith: Merino Junior High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Faith: Eighth grade.
Me: How many students are in your grade?
Faith: 27.
Me: Do you feel like there are cliques within your school?
Faith: Yes, I do.
Me: Are you part of a clique?
Faith: Yes, I am.
Me: What clique would you say you are in?
Faith: I would say the athletes.
Me: What other cliques are there?
Faith: The nerdy kids, the dramatic girls, the popular kids, the weird kids.
Me: Do you feel cliques are healthy for students?
Faith: Its fine to hang out with kids to have the same interests, but I dont think its okay if you
dont let other kids join you.
Me: Do you see a lot of exclusion in regards to cliques?
Faith: Yes, the kids who do not fit the standards are not included.
Me: When do you feel cliques begin to form?
Faith: Around the junior high age.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques?
Faith: I feel like teachers should embrace kids hanging out with one another, but I think they
should prevent the excluding of kids from cliques.

Interview #7

Vianey Ventura-ValdezLa Jara, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Vianey: Centauri High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Vianey: Eleventh.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Vianey: About 90.
Me: Do you feel like there are cliques in your school?
Vianey: Yes.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Vianey: Id have to say that the jocks are most present at my high school. The other smaller
cliques are the band kids, the ghetto kids, and then there are the kids that dont really fit into any
clique.
Me: Do you feel like you are part of a clique?
Vianey: No, I dont feel like I am part of a clique.
Me: Do you feel that cliques are healthy in schools, or do they cause bullying and exclusion?
Vianey: I think they can be both a good and a bad thing. Theyre good because they can help
students find a group of people with similar interests, but bad because in some cases it may cause
things like bullying and exclusion because some kids arent like those of the ones in the clique
doing the bullying.
Me: Do you feel like cliques are important in helping students form their identity?
Vianey: No.
Me: At what age you do think cliques begin to form?
Vianey: About eighth grade, so about 14.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should teachers encourage cliques
or should they try to prevent cliques from forming?
Vianey: I honestly dont think there is much teachers can do to prevent cliques from forming.

Interview #8

Jordyn TurneyHaxtun, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Jordyn: Haxtun High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Jordyn: I am a senior.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Jordyn: 21 students.
Me: Do you feel there are cliques within your school?
Jordyn: Oh yes, there are.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Jordyn: Athletes, jocks are the main one. And then there are the unpopulars, you know?
Me: What makes a person part of the unpopulars?
Jordyn: They dont do sports, dont really participate in much, and are generally antisocial.
Me: Do you identify with a certain clique?
Jordyn: Im a little everywhere, but I dont talk to the jocks much.
Me: Do you think cliques cause bullying/exclusion?
Jordyn: No, I dont. I think we should just get along. There is nothing wrong with liking different
things and knowing what they love is important.
Me: Do you think cliques are essential in forming ones identity?
Jordyn: I think someone has to find who they fit in with. I feel like when cliques are mean to
other cliques, thats not necessary.
Me: At what age do you feel cliques begin?
Jordyn: Junior high, after everyone is growing and either following or leading and trying to be
themselves and find out who that is.
Me: What do you think teachers should know or do about cliques?
Jordyn: I think they should stop the bullying between the cliques. Cliques can be a result of
different activities attracting different people. I think I may be a little biased because I am from
such a small school and I havent experienced the really clique schools.

Interview #9

Mia GilbertsonFort Collins, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Mia: Centennial High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Mia: Junior.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Mia: Probably 300.
Me: Do you feel that there are cliques within your school?
Mia: Yeah, but they are not all exclusive.
Me: Can you name a few of these cliques?
Mia: The cheerleaders and jocks tend to gravitate towards each other. Then there are the
depressed kids and the potheads.
Me: Do you personally identify with a clique?
Mia: Naw.
Me: Do you feel that cliques are healthy in schools?
Mia: They can I guess but generally the drama stays in the clique itself so they start more trouble
for themselves than anyone else. But exclusion is a given. I think they can be a good thing or a
bad thing depends on the group.
Me: When do you think cliques begin to form?
Mia: Elementary school.
Me: What do you think teachers should know or do about cliques?
Mia: They should definitely step in if there is bullying, but otherwise I dont think there is
anything they can do.

Interview #10

Chris ArellanoFort Lupton, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Chris: Fort Lupton High School
Me: What grade are you in?
Chris: Junior.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Chris: 150.
Me: Do you feel there are cliques within your school?
Chris: Definitely.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Chris: Soccer kids, Mexicans, baseball guys, couples, Anime kids, freshman, hype beast, dance
club, guys that talk about football. Those are just some I can remember off the top of my head
Me: Do you identify with a clique?
Chris: I feel like I don't. I mostly just walk my girlfriend to class then I rush to mine. But I do
know most of the kids that are involved in some of the cliques.
Me: Do you think cliques are healthy, or do cliques lead to bullying and exclusion?
Chris: From what I can see the cliques keep to them self and don't mind someone new just
standing nearby and listening to the conversation.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should teachers encourage cliques,
or try to stop them from forming?
Chris: The principal at our school knows about these cliques. She sometimes stands and listens to
and they involve her in the conversation too.

Interview #11

Sarah BaillieLincoln, Nebraska

Me: What school do you attend?


Sarah: Lincoln East High School
Me: What grade are you in?
Sarah: Ninth.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Sarah: Around 500.
Me: Do you feel there are cliques within your school?
Sarah: Yes.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Sarah: Band kids, popular kids, not as popular kids, sporty kids.
Me: Do you personally identify with a clique?
Sarah: Not really.
Me: Do you feel that cliques are healthy, or do they lead to bullying and exclusion?
Sarah: Yeah, most of the time.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should they encourage cliques, or
try to stop them from forming?
Sarah: Teachers should know that it gives people labels and they should try to stop them from
forming because it could make people feel like other people in their grade can be more powerful
than themselves.
Interview #12

Robbie De HerreraArvada, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Robbie: Faith Christian Academy.
Me: What grade are you in?
Robbie: Twelfth grade. Im a senior.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Robbie: I would say about 75 per grade
Me: Do you feel there are cliques within your school?
Robbie: Totally with the younger grade but I feel like it gets better with the seniors
Me: Has there never been cliques in your grade, or have they just faded out?
Robbie: Yeah, there are the kids who think they are all good and there are the other kids like
athletes, drama people and then the stoners.
Me: Do you feel that cliques are healthy in schools, or do they contribute to bullying and
exclusion?
Robbie: It's bullying and hard for the newer kids.
Me: Do you think cliques are essential in forming one's identity?
Robbie: No, I feel like they help make labels.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should teachers encourage cliques,
or try to stop them from forming?
Robbie: I feel like there's not much they can do, but they should try to encourage people to make
friends.

Interview #13

Ethan RobinsonSterling, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Ethan: I currently attend Sterling High School and will graduate next month.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Ethan: Im guessing 100 to 150.
Me: Do you feel there are cliques in your school?
Ethan: Definitely!
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Ethan: All of the athletes, FFA, and FBLA kids are the one big preppy group. Then there are the
theater, band, and art kids which aren't as cohesive.
Me: Do you personally identify with a clique?
Ethan: No I stick to myself, but I've had friends from both "preppy" and arts groups.
Me: Do you think cliques are healthy and essential for forming identify? Or do you feel that
cliques lead to bullying and exclusion?
Ethan: think social groups are healthy for people. But I think cliques have connotations of being
exclusive and unhealthy.
Me: At what age do you think cliques begin to form?
Ethan: Middle School.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should teachers encourage cliques
or try to stop them from forming?
Ethan: I think teachers should encourage healthy social activity but I think they should
discourage groups that exclude certain people or pass unfair judgement upon them.

Interview #14

Eva DohertyLittleton, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Eva: Heritage High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Eva: Twelfth grade.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Eva: 350-400.
Me: Do you feel that cliques are evident within your school?
Eva: Yes, however I would say there are tons of students who don't belong to a clique, and many
who bounce from clique to clique. Thankfully, my school is pretty open and friendly, so there are
loads of kids who overlap in cliques.
Me: Do you feel cliques contribute to bullying and exclusion?
Eva: I don't feel like a lot of kids are bullied at my school, whenever I've seen it happen it's
normally stopped by a teacher of another student.
Me: Do you feel cliques are essential in forming one's identity?
Eva: I think that it's something that happens a lot among adolescents because they're constantly
"trying on" new personalities and trying new things, so they form cliques to try and feel secure. I
don't think that it's particularly essential in forming one's identity; I never completely belonged to
a clique.
Me: At what age do you feel cliques begin to form?
Eva: I distinctly remember cliques forming around the end of fourth grade.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Do you think teachers should
encourage cliques, or try to prevent them from forming?
Eva: I think that there isn't anything bad about kids surrounding themselves with like-minded
students who share the same interests. I think it becomes a problem when people utilize those
groups to bully or exclude other students. I think that teachers should certainly stop bullying, but
I think that cliques forming in schools is somewhat inevitable, and kids need to be allowed to
explore different groups of people. If teachers micromanaged students' social lives, they wouldn't
grow as people and they wouldn't learn to socialize properly.

Interview #15

Aedan StraussLincoln, Nebraska

Me: What school do you attend?


Aedan: Lux Middle School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Aedan: Eighth.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Aedan: I dont really know, probably 300-400.
Me: Do you feel there are cliques evident within your school?
Aedan: Yes.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Aedan: There's like the preppy kids, and then the smart nerdy kids I guess. That's about it, I
think.
Me: Do you personally identify with a clique?
Aedan: No, Im more just friends with everyone.
Me: Do you think cliques contribute to bullying and exclusion?
Aedan: Yeah, Id say so.
Me: Do you think cliques are essential in forming identity?
Aedan: Yes, now that I think about it.
Me: What do you feel teachers should know about cliques? Should teachers encourage cliques or
try to stop them from forming?
Aedan: I think they should try to stop them if they get bad and bullying comes in, but if it's a
good thing then they should encourage it.

Interview #16
Lisette ZamoraCommerce City, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Lisette: Adams City High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Lisette: Im a senior.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Lisette: Theres about 330 seniors in my class.
Me: Do you feel like there are cliques within your school?
Lisette: I feel like there's a few here and there, but overall my class is really accepting of one
another. Everyone supports one another, and if any major cliques are around it would probably
be within theater, the soccer and football teams.
Me: Do you identify with a certain clique?
Lisette: I dont identify with any clique.
Me: Do you feel like cliques are harmful? That they contribute to exclusion and bullying?
Lisette: In my opinion I think that they're a little bit of both. I think it's great to have people
around you that enjoy the same things as you do, but it's harmful when it comes to including
someone new into the clique. The clique may not be as accepting to them
Me: At what age do you feel cliques begin to form?
Lisette: I feel like they begin as early as the 6th grade, but I feel that they truly start taking shape
freshman year of high school.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should they encourage cliques or
try to prevent them from forming?
Lisette: I believe teachers should encourage diversity in general, therefore making sure that
everyone feels included, even if that means preventing the formation of cliques.

Interview #17
Maddie BlackwellPueblo, Colorado
Me: What school do you attend?
Maddie: Centennial High School in Pueblo.
Me: What grade are you in?
Maddie: Eleventh.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Maddie: 300, give or take.
Me: Do you feel that cliques are evident within your school?
Maddie: I think my school is a bit more diverse as far as cliques go. Everyone talks to everyone
but there is always that base that people go back to. So in short, yes.
Me: Do you personally identify with a clique?
Maddie: I dont have a lot of close friends. I have my best friend and then I talk on occasion to a
number of different people from different "cliques.
Me: Do you think cliques are healthy in school?
Maddie: Not particularly. I think it's important for people to converse and empathize with people
different from themselves. In my opinion cliques often form in people the idea that someone has
to be better.
Me: At what age do you feel cliques begin to form?
Maddie: I suppose from a pretty young age, maybe elementary school. Our society teaches us we
must fit into a specific category and I think people really play into that early on.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should they actively try to prevent
cliques from forming?
Maddie: I think preventing children from doing things is counterproductive. I think teachers are
meant to guide. Educating children about cliques and helping to diversify their lives and thoughts
are all they can and should do.

Interview #18
Julissa GarciaYuma, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Julissa: Yuma Middle School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Julissa: Eighth grade.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Julissa: 70.
Me: Do you feel there are cliques within your school?
Julissa: Yes.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Julissa: The football players, the Mexicans, the "nobody really knows," the weird gamer people,
the sporty guys, and the wanna-bes.
Me: What clique do you identify with?
Julissa: The athletes.
Me: Do you feel cliques are healthy for students?
Julissa: No, because it excludes people from joining a new group.
Me: When do you feel cliques begin to form?
Julissa: Once middle school starts.
Me: What should teachers know about cliques?
Julissa: Nothing, they cant do anything about them anyway.

Interview #19
Rebecca KennedyPeetz, Colorado

Me: What school do you attend?


Rebecca: I attend Peetz High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Rebecca: I am a freshman.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Rebecca: We only have fourteen.
Me: Do you feel there are cliques within your school?
Rebecca: I think there are.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Rebecca: There are the volleyball girls, some of the basketball guys, the quiet ones, a gamer
clique, then i guess like a smart group
Me: Do you feel like you identify with a clique?
Rebecca: Not really.
Me: Do you feel cliques are healthy for students?
Rebecca: I think because Peetz is so small, everyone can hang out with everyone at some point,
but in bigger schools I think cliques can be harmful.
Me: What do you think teachers should know about cliques? Should they encourage them or try
to prevent them from forming?
Rebecca: I think teachers should encourage us to interact with everyone but still allow us to hang
out with our own groups sometimes
Interview #20
Alex StraussHolyoke, Colorado
Me: What school do you attend?
Alex: I attend Holyoke Senior High School.
Me: What grade are you in?
Alex: I am a senior.
Me: Approximately how many students are in your grade?
Alex: Approximately 40.
Me: Do you feel like there are cliques within your school?
Alex: I do.
Me: Can you name some of these cliques?
Alex: I think you have the athletic/jock clique, the academic clique, and the partying clique.
Me: What clique do you mostly identify with?
Alex: I think I identify most with the jock clique.
Me: Do you feel cliques are healthy for students?
Alex: I think to a degree. It's heathy to be able to find friends based on similar interests. But with
cliques some people will never interact just because of what clique they are associated with
Me: Do you feel cliques lead to bullying?
Alex: I don't think the clique itself leads to it. I think bullying occurs on a person to person basis.
Me: Do you think cliques are essential in forming one's identity?
Alex: I don't. I think a person can definitely form their identity from a clique but it isn't essential.
Me: At what age do you feel cliques begin to form?
Alex: I think as early as third or fourth grade.
Me: What should teachers know about cliques? Should they encourage cliques or try to prevent
them from forming?
Alex: Teachers should know that cliques do not define a person. And they should try to keep
every bias opinion about a student out of how they perform their job. I think teachers should
encourage students to find friends in all areas of interests. So I guess in a way, prevent them from
forming.
Conclusion:
Overall, all of the twenty students interviewed stated that they do see cliques within their

schools. While the names of these cliques varied from school to school, almost every student

described jocks or athletes as a prominent clique in their school. Essentially half of these

students felt they were a part of one or more clique, while the other half felt they were not. A

majority of the students felt that cliques were a healthy part of human development, but also

acknowledged that cliques can also lead to bullying. Many students felt that cliques begin to

form when children first develop their own interests. This age ranged from as low as third grade

to as high as middle school. For many students, cliques did not seem like an exclusive bunch, but

were rather groups of people that merely shared the same interests.

As a future teacher, I gained extreme amounts of insight through this project. For

instance, almost all students claimed that teachers should stay clear of infiltrating and trying to

combat the formation of cliques, as they feel cliques will happen regardless of acts of prevention.

However, the students agreed that teachers should come between cliques when bullying and

exclusion become involved. As previously stated, cliques seem to be a central part of middle and

high school, and my interviews with these students proved just that. I now feel that when I

officially start teaching, I will be acutely aware of the positive and negatives that come with

cliques, as well as how to deal with cliques in a way that gains trust with students, encourages

the formation of identity, and adamantly excludes bullying.

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