Reeves Middle School Interview

Recently a group of my Saint Martin’s peers and I went to Reeves Middle School to interview groups of students. My group consisted of two girls and one boy all in the sixth grade. At first they were fairly quiet but after a few questions they began to warm up to me and the recorder and had some fun with each other. Overall this was a great experience and I learned a lot of interesting things about these kids.

One of the first questions I asked was “how did you get to Olympia?” At this point they were still acting a little shy and weren't sure how to answer the question but soon they warmed up and I was able to get some knowledge about where they were born, where they have previously lived and things they enjoy about the area.

The next couple of questions that I asked were “what makes Olympia a good or bad place to live?” They believe that one reason Olympia is a good place to live is because of the weather, they said they love the rain and warm summers but especially the occasional snow. Here they all reminisced on a snow storm a couple of years ago and talked about the fun they had with their friends sledding down a hill near the school.

On the clip below I ask why they might think it is a bad place to live but if overall they like it. The reason that I saved this part of the clip is because I was really impressed with how honest and knowledgeable they were with their answers. Even with some problems they found in their community they knew that these issues are bound to happen anywhere and they still love to call this place their home.

After this I asked a few more questions about how their family ended in Olympia, history facts they knew about the city as well as some of their favorite places to visit. The next clip was probably one of my favorite questions that I asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Their answers reminded me a lot of myself when I was their age, I was really unsure of what I wanted to be but I had a few ideas in my mind. When I asked this question I also got a lot of information about hobbies and interests that they currently have.

The last question that I asked was “How do you identify yourself?” This question was one that was personally difficult for me to answer when a peer asked me so I really didn’t have a lot of expectations when I asked them but again I was pleasantly surprised. They said things like how they pride themselves on being nice to friends but also like to lovingly pick on their younger siblings.

After this interview I can say that I had the pleasure to get to know a few few students from Olympia as well as walking away with new insights that will help my interviewing skills.