Jarvis Clutch Chapter 4 – Personal Connection
After reading chapter 4 . . .
Identify something that Jarvis observed about kids in his school that you found interesting. How does it relate to the social scene at LREI? In responding, don’t talk about specific individuals or incidents at LREI, but try to get at the underlying idea (e.g., instead of saying, “I remember when X . . .” try “sometimes a person can think that . . . .”
Feel free (in fact it is encouraged) to respond to someone who has posted before you. If you agree, explain why and see if you can take the idea deeper. If you disagree, explain why and offer your view on things. Whether you agree or disagree, respond respectfully and thoughtfully.
If you are responding to a classmate, click on the reply link in their comment so that your reply is connected to their comment.
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I thought the code switching was kind of related to everywhere, here included. I think everyone has a different code for everyone, but some codes are completely different than another. I wonder if it’s possible for a code to betray another…
I don’t like codes simply because it’s basically a more secure way of talking behind someone’s back. It’s not nice, and it’s another way to do something you know your not supposed to do. In Jarvis’ case, I feel that it’s different because Mel Levine is showing kids about it in a way that sort of teaches them about it, without encouraging them to do it.
Some people would argue to say that it’s a way of talking to someone about another person and their own feelings about that person, but still, even in that explanation, it doesn’t change the fact that your gossiping. I can say that from experience, I will admit that I had used a code, and that I realized that it was wrong, so I stopped doing it. I think that it’s okay to have codes with your parents though, like I have a code with my parents for when I feel uncomfortable with someone on the subway, or on the street. I think that it’s bad to have codes for people at school because then (a) someone that’s not part of the code could piece together what code names mean who and (b) when your in a group of people all know the code, than someone could tell other people the code and then it could spread to the person/people the code is about. Sometimes kids use codes to talk about a kid that’s bothering them, or that’s “being mean” to them, and in my opinion, you should just go straight to an adult unless you think you can handle it yourself.
I would also say that I think code switching shows a comfort level. For example, if you just met a kid, you would probably act differently around them than you would with an older friend. Kids have a different way of talking to each other than they do of grown ups.
I agree with Isabella I think that everyone has different codes for different people and sometimes they might not even noticed how they just changed the way they were talking to someone else.
I agree, I don’t think we have many “codes.”
Nobody really makes jokes like what Jeff was saying to his other friends.
I thought that was very mean, because to others that love and play baseball and other sports a lot, that would hurt their feelings a lot.
Yeah, I agree with rachel. It is a secure way of talking behind somebody’s back. This whole book is sort of like that because we might be talking about actual people but with different names.
I don’t think that anyone should talk behind peoples back, if you are talking behind someones back just imagine that you are talking right to them. Would they like that?
I agree with Charlie because if somebody talked behind my back and I found out, I would be really mad. Also,to add on to Isabella, I always act a lot more shy and quiet when I meet a new kid. I also talk a lot differently when I speak to adults because They are older and more mature than me
I agree i think talking behind someone’s back is very rude and i don’t think any one would like that. But I think in every school there will be gossip and talking about other people.
I agree. I wouldn’t feel good if people were talking behind my back. It is very mean.
Exactly. Not much of a point in talking behind someone’s back. Just talk right to them. And I know I wouldn’t like to be the one who people where talking about. Behind my back.
I think that Willem brought up a good point because this book is pretty much just talking about people (real or fake) behind their backs. But, I also agree with Caleb because codes can be a good thing in a way. It’s a nicer way to put things almost.
I disagree with what you say because sometimes using codes make people feel better about themselves. In one persons code where they curse a lot they would make someone feel bad but if you talking to code that’s nicer it to make people feel a lot better about themselves.
I disagree with Rachel. I think that code switching is more about politeness. I would (and probably many other people) would not speak the same way to a best friend than to the queen of England. I know for a fact that sometimes I have trouble with code switching.
I agree with Alexa, although everyone has a different code, we might have a close code if you know what that means. Even if you do have a really different code from someone, it doesn’t mean that you have to be completely different, you could many different codes that make you, you but one or two of the codes could be the same as someone else’s. That’s why people get along real well they can find that code, and make it work in their favor.
I agree with Lindsay and Alexa. Codes are very important. There are some people you want to be serious with and some people you can joke around with. There are different kinds of humor you use with different people and you have to know when to dial things down when you’re with different people. Like Jarvis said, it takes skill to nail all of your codes.
The students at LREI don’t seem to have as much trouble with code switching as the kids at Jarvis’ school. There are some kids who are more quiet than others, and those who are louder than others, but nothing to significant. In terms of humor, I think that everyone has a pretty good sense of humor and knows when to say something funny. You could generally stick to 2 or 3 codes during the school day. It depends on how well you know the person.
I agree. At our school, there are less codes, and it is easy to learn them. Everyone’s code is similar to each others, so you can use one code for most people. It is nice to have a very diverse community, where code switching is easy. At Jarvis’s school, I think it is diverse, but hard to code switch. I wonder why?
I think your right the students in lrei have a much easier time with code switching then in Jarvis’s school I think his school is a lot lease understanding than our school
I agree with Lindsay. Everyone has a different code. But everyone has more than one code. And to make friends the two people find that code that matches each other. Thats why some people are not made for each other.
I agree with Aiden, lots of people here used if encouraged reach others but they’re not that different from each other. Some kids suck so much at their friends and their parents those could you get them at the code to be used with each other aren’t that different.
I agree with Lindsay that even though we are all different we are the same at the same time. For example one person may like pink and the other blue, but they both are really good at sports.
I agree with Alexa because everywhere, you talk to different people differently. Like Jarvis said, you would talk differently to a stranger than you friend you have know since you where 3.
I agree with Alexa because I think that everywhere you go you use some sort of code, but I also think that code switching is code (pun not intended) for subject.
That’s a good question. I think my point of view would say that it could be possible because for one code to betray another is basically saying that one person doesn’t agree with the other person and instead of agreeing and being friends with that code, it spreads rumors about that code that the other code doesn’t agree with. This might not make any sense, but basically what I’m trying to say is that if a code doesn’t like another code, that code will do something bad to it and make it feel left out.
The reply above this one is supposed to be for 21alexak
I agree when codes don’t agree there might be trouble, crying and baloney like that
I agree with Alexa. In a way it is sort of like a secret thing some people notice it others don’t.
This response is for Alexa K.
I think it is important to remember that “code switching” isn’t primarily about being able to talk secretly with another person. It’s really about fitting in and being able to see that one group might interact with each other in a way that is different from another group. For example, if your parents are having a party and you interact with the quests, you’re likely to talk to the adults differently that if you were at a party with your friends. Part of the “code switching” is how you talk, but equally important is what you talk about.
I personally don’t like codes because codes are basically used a form of talking about someone behind their back, it might not be about them but they might think it could be about something that they said that was personal. I think at LREI people use codes but not in a way that people would think it could be offensive. There are some cases where people are mad at each other and use the girl code or something to mock the person while they are standing right in front of them.
I agree with Yannik because LREI does use some sorts of codes but aren’t in a bad way. Although, some cases when people are mad at each other they don’t do something mean right in front of them. At LREI kids don’t do that, they just try to forget about it and move on. The kind of code switching Jarvis refers to in the book is true. For example, I wouldn’t talk to my dog the same way I talk to a teacher. It’s like what Jarvis said.
i do not like the codes either because it is like Rachel said talking behind peoples back
I’m not sure that this is what Jarvis means by “codes” and “code switching.” Imagine that there are two groups of kids. One group is really into basketball and the other is into jazz music. While there are certainly kids in the basketball group who may like jazz music, being able to talk about basketball with the basketball group is going to make things socially easier (especially if you do want to talk with them about jazz music at some point). But if you just barge into that group talking about jazz music, that might throw things off a bit in an awkward way. One way to think about code switching is like traveling to other countries and understanding that the norms in different places might be quite different. Maybe a stereotype, but the “loud” American tourist is an example of not so good code switching. Good code switchers know how to “read” the norms of the environment that they are in.
I think Ryan makes a good point that it’s hard to tell what Jarvis means by code and code switching because you can be in one group and like something that another group is into. I think that in real life there is a such thing as codes and code switching but I would kind of call it an interest and it’s not so specific. In my life code switching could be as simple as changing what I play at recess.
Yeah it’a not nice to to talk about someone when their not with you or gossiping about people
I think code switching is mean when your talking about people behind there backs. I think at LREI we tend to not do that. I think that if you are telling your friend something good that someone has done behind that persons back is okay because your saying good things. I still would not recommend to do that either.