A Long-Lasting Disciplinary Morning Ritual

The “Wild Walk” at Sendak Middle School

Abstract

For decades, adults at Sendak Middle School (pseudonym) have relied on an institutional morning routine I call the Wild Walk to feel in control of the social environment in the hallways before the start of instruction. Students are expected to slowly walk in loops through their building, monitored by teachers who try to ensure that the teenagers do not stop or move against the prescribed walking direction. This field report is an ethnographic case study that illuminates students’ perspectives on the effects this disciplinary practice has had on their school social life. While the Wild Walk promotes social interactions between and with adults, it provides obstacles to social interactions between adolescent friends.