The Bench was like a glorified time out, punishing misbehavior with social isolation. A student on the Bench wore a different colored T-shirt and was barred from talking to peers. The KIPP twist was that students on the Bench did not actually miss class; instead, they sat either at the edge of the room or in a normal seat, separated only by the color of their shirt and the prohibition on talking (although talking for the purpose of class was often permitted).
