Sitting at a desk in a hard chair for long periods of time, Monday through Friday, is not comfortable for me as a teacher. I have observed this behavior in my students as well. There are days where I may decide to teach in the hallway, the computer lab, or attempt to change the way the seats are organized. However, in many classrooms students do not have a choice in the type of seating that will best help them to learn and stay engaged. Also, the classrooms in my school are fairly small to house over 30 students. The desks take up much of the space, which hinders students from true collaboration inside the classroom.
In middle school, I believe students should begin to become more independent learners. Finding out how they learn best and understand that SUCCESS comes from GROWTH!
To solve these issues, I have decided to use flexible seating. Flexible seating is the first step towards independent learning. Instead of students being told what to do, or in this case, where to sit, students have the opportunity to be given a choice. This encourages them to communicate and collaborate with their peers. In addition, it will help build their creativity and critical thinking skills.
Students will have the option to sit at bar tables, on the floor, in bean bag chairs, on a couch, a table, standing desks area, and in traditional desks. This classroom setup will help with classroom management and allow for students to take ownership of their learning. These students deserve to have innovative and meaningful learning experiences. This will no longer be just MY classroom, but OUR place of LEARNING!
About my class
Sitting at a desk in a hard chair for long periods of time, Monday through Friday, is not comfortable for me as a teacher. I have observed this behavior in my students as well. There are days where I may decide to teach in the hallway, the computer lab, or attempt to change the way the seats are organized. However, in many classrooms students do not have a choice in the type of seating that will best help them to learn and stay engaged. Also, the classrooms in my school are fairly small to house over 30 students. The desks take up much of the space, which hinders students from true collaboration inside the classroom.
In middle school, I believe students should begin to become more independent learners. Finding out how they learn best and understand that SUCCESS comes from GROWTH!
To solve these issues, I have decided to use flexible seating. Flexible seating is the first step towards independent learning. Instead of students being told what to do, or in this case, where to sit, students have the opportunity to be given a choice. This encourages them to communicate and collaborate with their peers. In addition, it will help build their creativity and critical thinking skills.
Students will have the option to sit at bar tables, on the floor, in bean bag chairs, on a couch, a table, standing desks area, and in traditional desks. This classroom setup will help with classroom management and allow for students to take ownership of their learning. These students deserve to have innovative and meaningful learning experiences. This will no longer be just MY classroom, but OUR place of LEARNING!
Read more