With students with disabilities, a conducive, comfortable learning environment is key. I have tried to make my classroom a comfortable one where students feel relaxed and at home. If my students feel at ease in my room, I have found them to be more productive.
Our students are a very diverse population, and our school is considered low-income.
We have many students with multiple races, numerous religious backgrounds, and socioeconomic status. There is a high rate of gang activity in our area which trickles into the lives of our students.
In the special education department, the majority of the students have moderate to mild disabilities, with the majority of these students being in the general education environment most of the day. More than half of my students have Other Health Impairments, especially ADD/ADHD. My room is used for testing and a specialized, structured study hall for students with disabilities.
Our school is a wonderful place to be with such supportive teachers and administration. We have numerous intervention systems in place for students who are struggling in any aspect of their lives. We live in a small city, but we surely have a small town feel.
My Project
My students are mostly male, and the male pelvis has a V shaped pubic arch and less space in the pelvic opening. The female pelvis has a U shaped pubic arch and more space. When we ask males to sit on hard wood or plastic, we are asking them to sit on a tailbone that is much more in direct contact with the surface than females. While we should truly be sitting on our “sit” bones, no one sits like this and almost everyone sits with a rounded back causing the tailbone to be in direct contact with the surface for a male.
Since students are typically working independently or in small groups, these standing desks will aid in students adding movement while they work. Students with ADD/ADHD have a hard time sitting all day and need the movement to trigger brain development and to stay on task. The disks are a proven tool to use on chairs and aid in proprioceptive input. These small changes to the environment will be such a benefit to their learning!
These 2 desks and 20 disks will dramatically change the environment in my classroom.
My students will have increased focus for their work while having a more fun and inviting classroom. Students will be able to have movement while they work which is important for those with disabilities, especially ADD/ADHD.
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