We do have to remind the women to share the responsibility of taking care of the classroom. During the orientation process for students, we inform them of kitchen cleanup duty where they take turns caring for the kitchen. Again, like the teacher who became used to the classroom that was falling apart, some women are accustomed to working and living in chaotic environments. We reiterate that each woman must give attention and care to her individual learning space in the classroom (her table, chair, bags, etc.), not only to create her own area that is worthy of respect, but also to respect the shared area of the classroom.
The women have grown to honor and love the space of the classroom. One year, women even took turns bringing in flowers to celebrate their table as a sacred place in the classroom. This was part of a larger activity in the Loves Herself class called “honoring centers.” Each woman would bring in sacred objects of meaning and beauty in their lives.
One learner, Lucy would stop by the flower shop every Monday morning to make her table beautiful. She said that she wanted to keep her table exquisite because another student would always bring in beautiful objects as well. So she brought in a tablecloth she no longer used at home so she could see it every day when she came to school. She would often say how she appreciated seeing that tablecloth every morning. She said it reminded her of when her daughters would bring flowers to her daycare service (Teacher reflection notes, 2004).
Many of the women say that they really cherish the “honoring centers.” They enjoy bringing in objects that have sentimental value.