This week’s Dragon’s Tale recipient for Staff Spotlight is Mr. Sewell. Mr. Sewell is an English teacher at South, and might be the most likable teacher in our building. He is consistently a calming presence in the classroom, and is skilled at building an environment that feels comfortable and safe. Several South students nominated Mr. Sewell for this week’s Staff Spotlight, one of whom is Lauren Lariviere (12). Lariviere points out Sewell’s ability to create safety in his classroom by stating that “he allows people to be passionate when sharing their opinions… even for people who don’t typically voice their thoughts.” Chloe Lesch, another senior, told The Tale that Mr. Sewell is “so caring, and always hears students out and compliments [their] writing.” Everyone describes Mr. Sewell as incredibly caring and fun, noting that he makes class interesting and comfortable for everyone. Especially in the context of a high school, safety and comfort are incredibly important for student-teacher relationships and general success in school. Mr. Sewell is a perfect example of a teacher who has found the balance between being a teacher and a safe person. In addition to his congenial personality, many students love Mr. Sewell because of his humor. Hailey Hubbs (12) describes Mr. Sewell as witty, saying that “he loves to start class with a cringy dad joke.” Lesch also points out Mr. Sewell’s humorous personality, saying that he is “always making jokes and having fun.” When asked his initial reaction to being nominated for this recognition, Mr. Sewell told The Tale that he was “super honored to know that students would nominate [him],” and shared a bit of his philosophy in creating safe spaces for students: “So much of English is discussion… you can’t ask people to have difficult conversations if it’s not already a comfortable space.”