Can school become a second home for students? YES/NO/…HOW

One day before the holidays, I asked my 10th grade biology students a trivial question: Why do they go to school? They answered the following:

• To communicate, to understand how life works. You need to understand how to survive in the world and have the knowledge to get settled in life, at work, make friends.
• Children should go to school to gain knowledge and become better. In my case, I go to school because I want to learn something new about life and the world.
• To improve my communication skills, critical thinking and grammar. It is very important to have basic knowledge about life in general in your head after school.
• In my case, I go to school to learn something new, gain experience, communicate with others. In short, for self-development and because it is better than doing nothing.
• To develop my brain and learn to think logically.
• I want to have a good job and life in the future, and I can achieve this by studying. This will also make my parents proud.
• Learn something new.

Then I asked the students to watch one documentary from the series: The Most Dangerous Ways to School. I will not retell the content of this film. If you are interested, the link is here. The students watched the film with great interest, holding their breath. There were different emotions on their faces. After watching the film, I asked them: Why did the children in the film, overcoming huge obstacles, in life-threatening conditions, go to school?

• To have a better future.
• To study and have a good job in the future, so that they can provide a good life for themselves and their families.
• It is good for their future and life. School, teachers develop students’ skills for the outside world.
• They must go to school to get an education.
• These poor children go to school for an education, to leave their poor country, to get some food…
• To get a better life, to get food and a comfortable bed…
• To get some food.

We talked about it a little more. Everyone agreed that for children from very poor families, school is the only chance to get an education and find a good job in the future, and for many of them, school is the only chance to eat well and have more or less normal sleeping conditions, which their parents cannot give them.

Then I asked the students: What does “home” mean to you?

•  For me, home is a place where I can feel safe, feel supported, feel free and relaxed, and not experience stress (Magda).
• A place where I feel comfortable (Alexandra).
• Home is a place where I can spend a lot of time without panic, stress, and discomfort. Also, there are a lot of close people at home with whom I can talk (Matthew).
• Somewhere to go when you are tired. Somewhere to go for comfort. Where you can always come back and be yourself (Rouzhin).
• For me, home is a place where my family lives, where I feel comfortable, and where all my things are (Maksym).
• Home is a place where you feel comfortable, well-fed, loved and warm. A place where you come to relax or clear your mind. Mostly it is a place where you live, but sometimes when household problems arise, such as when parents are abusive/addicted/divorced, house is no longer home (Laura).
• A place where I feel comfortable and safe and I am not afraid to be myself (Sarlotta).
• A place where I feel comfortable and can express my feelings and thoughts without fear (Adrina).
• Home is a place to sleep and a place to live (Randy).

To my question: Can school be a second home, five students answered “YES”, two students answered “MAYBE”, two students answered “NO”.

To clarify the situation, I asked the students to answer the question: How do you understand the statement “School is my second home”?

– I understand this statement as school can make you happy, free and safe. People who care about you and make you feel better. You can feel supported and motivated to study. Sometimes I feel like school is my home, but still it is not the same as my real home.

– There you feel comfortable, you are not always tense and you feel comfortable communicating, expressing yourself and asking questions.

– School can be a second home for me. Because many teachers and students can help and communicate with each other. If you do not have parents or grandparents, this is a great choice. Also, school is “my second home” because I can feel comfortable there.

– Well, you spend half a day and five days a week at school, so theoretically it can be your second home, because of the time you spend there.

– That I can stay at school half a day and go to school every day.

– That I spend so much time here, half of my week and years, I spend most of my time at school and only go away for holidays.

– I don’t think that school is my second home because I don’t feel comfortable at school at all, I don’t like going to some of the classes.

– I understand it in the sense that some people consider school to be a second home because they feel safe there, especially because we spend a lot of time there.

– If you feel comfortable, happy and loved in that place, then you may find that you spend more hours at school and enjoy it more than at home. School is my home is a term in which you state that you like and spend more time at school than when you don’t.

Then I asked the students: Under what conditions, circumstances can school become a second home?

– If the school takes into account our feelings and concerns and makes the environment safer.

– If some people don’t make me answer questions or if school didn’t start at 8:30 in the morning, then it would be possible.

– For me, it’s just that I can spend time there with my friends.

– If you have a good relationship with everyone.

– If there are many good people, a big place, good food and a normal standard of living, you can call it your second home.

– If some people leave the school.

– It is possible in friendly conditions. Everyone should be kind so that people can feed the wealthy. Teachers should not do many tests so that children are not so stressed. In this school it works really well and I enjoy the school.

What do you think about the question: Can school become a second home for students?