My previous English teachers have been fans of small group discussions where we go into the hall to talk about our book for a few minutes. However, the glaring issue on the third floor has been the lack of seating for students. The options have been to squeeze into the few tables next to Ms. Vance’s office, or there travel all the way to the opposite side of the wing to sit. The new study space resolves this problem. Removing unnecessary lockers and replacing them with useful places for students has been a step in the right direction to improve discussion and collaboration in English classes. English teacher Scott Hollander agrees with the benefit of more areas for student interaction. “It’s a better community space for students… Keeps students off the floor,” Hollander says.

I’ve found the space to be a great environment for getting work done during a free block or the morning as well. The third floor is isolated from other places in the building, which can be good for productivity, and these new tables are an attractive place to get work done. There’s nothing wrong with adding more comfortable places for students to work, and the organized space gives me the sense that I’m in a professional environment and need to get my work done. While I appreciate that there are no distractions when I’m trying to focus, the bare walls seem rather uninspiring. Simple art pieces similar to the art that’s on other walls in the English wing would suffice to add some charm to the new space while allowing students to feel like they are in a space designed for work. Hollander shared a student idea to add a whiteboard to a blank wall, and I believe that this would be a great addition for more discussion and interaction between students on both English texts and even math and science homework.