Environment Matters

Recently, Wright Academics celebrated our 1-year anniversary at our Chesapeake Avenue space. Our space at Chesapeake Ave really is a dream come true; it’s warm, inviting, open, and filled with natural light. For those of you who have visited our office in-person, you’ll often see students working with their coach in the main room or hear students playing ping pong in the basement while taking a study break. This space has given us so much including an area to continue in-person learning throughout the pandemic (while implementing necessary safety precautions, of course). We believe that if you create a welcoming environment where kids feel comfortable learning, they will give it a shot. How have we been able to create that at Wright Academics? Check out our tips below.

A House to A Home

When students walk through our doors, they often have a lot of stress and anxiety associated with learning. Maybe they are frustrated with their grades, or they are working really hard and not seeing results. Whatever the case may be, we try to structure our learning spaces to eliminate any extra stress. This is why we chose to renovate a house into an office rather than rent an office building; a house feels comfortable and familiar. We try to keep learning spaces as distraction and clutter-free as possible because external clutter can often clutter your mind. We also fill our spaces with themes that appeal to our students’ interests. For example, our basement is currently being renovated into a sport’s themed hang out (check out our social media outlets to see the mood board for the basement).

Natural Light

Another design element we love is natural light. Overhead lights can make you feel tired and groggy while natural light often leaves students feeling energized and positive. When renovating the Chesapeake Ave space, we made sure to include a window in each room. The more natural light, the more awake and motivated students tend to feel.

DIY Tips

Whether your student is learning virtually or completing homework at home, there are a few things you can do to help create an environment that’s productive for learning. First, make sure, as we mentioned previously, that they have good lighting (preferably natural light) in their workspace. Second, make sure they have a comfortable chair and a solid desk or table. Something we often hear from students is that they prefer to do their work on their laptop in bed. While this certainly feels more comfortable in the moment, a student’s bed is not conducive to learning, and working from one’s bed often causes sleep issues.

You cannot underestimate environment when considering a student’s learning experience. By creating a welcoming, safe environment, you have the ability to lower a student’s anxiety, so they are freer to learn. My dream, as the director of Wright Academics, is to create a space that feels like home; a space where people call students by name and students feel confident that they can be themselves. After all, at the core of academic coaching is connection.

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About Evelyn Wright

Evelyn Wright is the Director of Wright Academics, a tutoring business created to target kids’ specific needs. Her passion is helping students and families succeed so that they achieve their maximum potential in and out of the classroom.

With over 25 years of experience working with children and their families in public and private schools, as well as in private practice, Evelyn’s focus is understanding the individual’s learning profile, guiding families of children with learning differences and matching students to the tutor or coach that best fits the student. She believes in not only matching educational needs to the right tutor’s skills, but matching a student to the tutor with the right personality.