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My students are at risk for dropping out of school. In the seventeen years I've been meeting these young people, one commonality is clear: they need a place to feel accepted, to be physically and emotionally safe, and to feel at home. School has, for the vast majority of my students, been a long series of adverse experiences with "school" in general, so providing them a place that looks and feels like a positive, safe, nurturing environment is essential. I have seen an uptick in timeliness and engagement since I began changing my physical classroom from a traditional set of desks in rows, institutional-bare walls with flourescent lighting to a warm, lamp-lit, comfortable place with a few bean bag chairs and a pub table and stools to add to the tables students are used to sitting in. Each time I add a source of comfort--a rocking chair I found at a garage sale, an essential oil diffuser that smells nice--my students respond in grateful appreciation. Offering cool water without having students leave the room, which they do sometimes just as a work avoidance strategy, not only provides some hospitable refreshment, but lets my students know that I care about their needs. For some, that's a need greater than an education. Additonal alternative seating will allow more students to enjoy the atmosphere in school, which is the goal. They need positive experiences associated with learning.
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