Making choices about the way you want to learn can be such a simple freedom, but to a child who has none, this freedom to make their own choice about their own learning is monumental. Pen or pencil? Colored pencils or markers? Computer or tablet? Table or floor? Paper or dry erase? Shoes or no shoes? Music or silence? Reinforcement before or after work? Providing the opportunity to make these choices encourages communication and fosters higher student engagement, motivation, and performance. What is my students’ favorite choice to be given? The choice to sit where they want to complete their assignments.
A flexible seating arrangement will provide my students the ability to take control of their physical environment and work in a way in which they best learn. Rarely does that look like a student sitting up in a traditional chair at a traditional desk (though I provide that as a choice as well). With these seating choices, students gain flexibility and control of their surroundings which provides the autonomy and comfort to stay engaged and focused. I have seen first hand how flexible seating allows for increased collaboration among students, more creativity and classroom discussions, and ultimately, increased comfort so that students are willing to complete assignments, try new skills, and practice budding ones.
With the seating options I have requested, students can sit, stand, wobble, and bounce their way to success! Flexible seating helps make my classroom a “yes space” where students are safe to make their own choices in order to learn and grow.
About my class
Making choices about the way you want to learn can be such a simple freedom, but to a child who has none, this freedom to make their own choice about their own learning is monumental. Pen or pencil? Colored pencils or markers? Computer or tablet? Table or floor? Paper or dry erase? Shoes or no shoes? Music or silence? Reinforcement before or after work? Providing the opportunity to make these choices encourages communication and fosters higher student engagement, motivation, and performance. What is my students’ favorite choice to be given? The choice to sit where they want to complete their assignments.
A flexible seating arrangement will provide my students the ability to take control of their physical environment and work in a way in which they best learn. Rarely does that look like a student sitting up in a traditional chair at a traditional desk (though I provide that as a choice as well). With these seating choices, students gain flexibility and control of their surroundings which provides the autonomy and comfort to stay engaged and focused. I have seen first hand how flexible seating allows for increased collaboration among students, more creativity and classroom discussions, and ultimately, increased comfort so that students are willing to complete assignments, try new skills, and practice budding ones.
With the seating options I have requested, students can sit, stand, wobble, and bounce their way to success! Flexible seating helps make my classroom a “yes space” where students are safe to make their own choices in order to learn and grow.
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