Past projects 2
Finalizing my dream!
Funded Aug 2, 2019We are just finishing up our first quarter at school in our Aloha Café. My students and I truly love it and are grateful each and every day for the opportunity for flexible seating in a calming and comfortable environment. While I was initially a bit concerned that there may be arguments over choosing seating, as well as potential behavior problems, we have experienced the exact opposite. My students love to have new choices each day and have been generous in letting others have the opportunity to try all the different seating options. Behavior has been better since students are comfortable and have more control over where the sit in order to learn best.
It was so exciting to see all of my students' faces when they walked into our classroom for the first time. It felt like Christmas morning! They had never experienced the opportunity to choose their own seats in an environment that felt more like home than school. Each day, they wanted to try a new seat; sometimes, they couldn't wait for the next day and would switch seats after each recess. Even after a few months, there are a few who have favorite spots, but most of my students still like changing seats daily.
Moving forward, it was suggested to me that it might be beneficial to other teachers to create a research project on the impact of café style seating in the classroom. This is such a new idea, that data would be helpful in supporting teachers and convincing donors and administrators of the benefits. In working with another administrator from a different school, I now have ideas on how to begin the process of data collection. I am confident that our classroom will become a model of future classrooms; not just in look and comfort, but also backed by research supporting student attendance and learning. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to provide this innovative and inspirational environment for my students and others in the future. My students and I are forever grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Strattan
This classroom project was brought to life by Yellow Chair Foundation and 3 other donors.Hawaiian Cafe Style
Funded Jul 28, 2019We are just finishing up our first quarter at school in our Aloha Café. My students and I truly love it and are grateful each and every day for the opportunity for flexible seating in a calming and comfortable environment. While I was initially a bit concerned that there may be arguments over choosing seating, as well as potential behavior problems, we have experienced the exact opposite. My students love to have new choices each day and have been generous in letting others have the opportunity to try all the different seating options. Behavior has been better since students are comfortable and have more control over where the sit in order to learn best.
It was so exciting to see all of my students' faces when they walked into our classroom for the first time. It felt like Christmas morning! They had never experienced the opportunity to choose their own seats in an environment that felt more like home than school. Each day, they wanted to try a new seat; sometimes, they couldn't wait for the next day and would switch seats after each recess. Even after a few months, there are a few who have favorite spots, but most of my students still like changing seats daily.
Moving forward, it was suggested to me that it might be beneficial to other teachers to create a research project on the impact of café style seating in the classroom. This is such a new idea, that data would be helpful in supporting teachers and convincing donors and administrators of the benefits. In working with another administrator from a different school, I now have ideas on how to begin the process of data collection. I am confident that our classroom will become a model of future classrooms; not just in look and comfort, but also backed by research supporting student attendance and learning. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to provide this innovative and inspirational environment for my students and others in the future. My students and I are forever grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Strattan
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 15 other donors.