Bodies aren't made to sit for hours on end without movement, noise, and interaction. Teens often go their entire school day without much activity, yet research conducted on adults who move around and access movement-friendly seating options (like exercise balls and standing desks) proves that health is better when sedentary work environments are made more active.
Having a variety of seating and working options that add comfort, movement, organized collaboration, and choice will allow students to improve their overall health, well being, engagement, focus, creativity, and learning centered interactions. We have a good start but hope to exchange eight traditional desks for better options: the stools are designed to engage the core and improve focus for "fidgeters." The longer desks and rolling chairs allow for partner work, spreading out resources for literary analysis, incorporating technology, and moving around the desk surface as needed. All of these options can be reconfigured throughout the room to allow for different grouping styles and learning activities.
A flexible seating environment not only has positive outcomes for academic growth and health. It also helps reduce tension and allows students to choose optimal locations for different learning tasks (independent vs. small group), reducing anxiety and disruptive behaviors. As my students will soon graduate to post-secondary endeavors, I hope to offer them a more realistic working and collaborating environment than row upon row of industrial era desks (which many do not even fit in comfortably!).
About my class
Bodies aren't made to sit for hours on end without movement, noise, and interaction. Teens often go their entire school day without much activity, yet research conducted on adults who move around and access movement-friendly seating options (like exercise balls and standing desks) proves that health is better when sedentary work environments are made more active.
Having a variety of seating and working options that add comfort, movement, organized collaboration, and choice will allow students to improve their overall health, well being, engagement, focus, creativity, and learning centered interactions. We have a good start but hope to exchange eight traditional desks for better options: the stools are designed to engage the core and improve focus for "fidgeters." The longer desks and rolling chairs allow for partner work, spreading out resources for literary analysis, incorporating technology, and moving around the desk surface as needed. All of these options can be reconfigured throughout the room to allow for different grouping styles and learning activities.
A flexible seating environment not only has positive outcomes for academic growth and health. It also helps reduce tension and allows students to choose optimal locations for different learning tasks (independent vs. small group), reducing anxiety and disruptive behaviors. As my students will soon graduate to post-secondary endeavors, I hope to offer them a more realistic working and collaborating environment than row upon row of industrial era desks (which many do not even fit in comfortably!).
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