In their article titled Rebooting Industrial Era Seating, posted on Edutopia https://www.edutopia.org/blog/rebooting-industrial-era-seating-eric-sheninger-thomas-murray, Eric Sheninger and Thomas Murray wrote: “If we are truly going to ensure that students become college and career ready or-more importantly-life ready, then we must help develop students who can work together, engage in respectful discourse, problem solve, and collaborate in both physical and virtual spaces.” The space and seating options I wanted to incorporate into my classroom would do just that. I wanted to create these learning spaces that encouraged collaboration and problem solving! I wanted spaces where students could sit around and have deep engaging discussions around topics we were learning. With my funded Donor’s Choose project, I received: 2 high top pub tables, 4 bar stools, 2 square ottomans, 2 Zenergy ball chairs, and 4 Wobble stools. A high school friend graciously donated two armed pillows to the class as well. I also had a teacher friend, who was transitioning into a new position, donate her class set of lap desks. In my classroom I already had 8 stools, a futon, and two bowl chairs, along with all my traditional desks/chairs. I knew I wanted to transition from desks to rectangular and circular tables. I wanted to have a mix of pillows, stools and chairs available for students to sit on around these spaces. I found circular tables, but had no luck getting rectangular ones. I decided to group six desks together instead. I also decided I would cluster four desks and put chairs with fidget bands (bought from Amazon) around them. Lastly, I talked my husband into letting me bring over an old loveseat and oversized chair with a longer ottoman (that would act similar to a coffee table). Since I was getting rid of desks, I had to find a solution/place for students to keep their supplies and learning materials. I decided to make our school supplies, like pencils, erasers, highlighters, etc. community supplies. These supplies were now kept in the middle of the tables or in easy to access spots in the classroom. We decided that we would take a community ownership over these. Since I was making this transition in March, I had already purchased students pencil boxes at the beginning of the school year. I allowed students to keep their special pencils and erasers from home in their pencil boxes and those were kept in their individual cubbies. I bought book bins (from Amazon) for students and had them put all of their folders and notebooks in their personal bin. We kept these in a central location, which was on a bookshelf in the front of the classroom. We stored the text books on various shelves around the room. Once I had gathered all of the seating options that I could and we figured out where materials were going to go, I put all of the options in the middle of the classroom and I allowed my students to help with the design process. Since I wanted this to be a space for them to learn their best in, I figured what better way than to have them design it and take ownership of the space! The students saw all of the seating options and designed floor plans. Some students chose to work with friends, while others wanted to work independently. The designs they created turned out great! We decided as a class to combine a few designs (many were identical or very similar). What was created was exactly what I would have mapped out for my students. I explained to my students, that the design would maybe need to change over the few weeks until we got it to a just right fit. (I think we actually only had to tweak the classroom design once or twice.) Now, most teachers would start the school year off with flexible seating, since it is such a HUGE adjustment for the teacher and the students. This also gives teachers a chance to model and show expectations for flexible seating, while they are building those relationships and expectations for the school and classroom. Since I wasn’t anticipating on my Donor’s Choose project being completed, I wasn’t banking on starting it at all last year. When my Donor’s Choose project was funded, I figured why not jump in! Why not allow my students the opportunity to participate in this new style. Why not allow my students the chance to be even more engaged in their learning and to start practicing making choices in where they learn best. Starting flexible seating in the middle of the year (end of March/beginning of April) had its struggles! I reviewed and modeled the expectations. Students practiced sitting in the various new seats and reviewed the expectations for each spot MANY times. Since we had already built our strong relationships in the class, I thought this was going to be an easier transition. We went through a honeymoon period for about three weeks, where students were making great choices and I didn’t have to move anyone. Students were able to come in and pick their seat for the day. As we got closer to the end of April and closer to the end of the school year, behaviors started ramping up and students were forgetting the expectations. I had to give numerous warnings and then follow through with moving students to where I felt their best learning spot was for the day. Then I started giving students assigned seats from the beginning of the day and only allowing them to pick their flexible seating spot when we moved to partner work or independent work. This is how it stayed until the last day of school.
Reflecting back on last school year I had many successes with flexible seating, but starting halfway through the school year is what made it tough. Even with all the research I had done and ideas I gathered and had prepared, I don’t think jumping in mid year was best. We had already established the flow of our class and throwing in this new style was hard for some students to transition to mid year. Going into this new school year, I am beyond excited to start the year off with flexible seating. I am looking forward to setting my expectations from the beginning. I have spent the summer observing and finding ways other teachers, who have been successful with flexible seating, show their expectations and manage students. One of the teachers I follow through my teacher Instagram (@adventuresofmrsgainer), Shane Saeed (@fantasticallyfourth) has given me some fresh ideas to take into the classroom this school year. This summer I have also been gathering new objects for my classroom. I have been searching through yard sale sites on the internet and Amazon and have purchased some great additions. I am keeping everything I had last year, but this year I will be moving out all but four of my desks. On the Facebook Marketplace site I was able to find a 4’x4’ Ikea table for FREE! On the same site I also found a large circular table and 4 tall Ikea bar stools with backs. Through Amazon warehouse I purchased a long rectangular table that has adjustable legs, 4 wobble/stability cushions and 5 new stools. On Amazon Prime Day I purchased an inflatable donut ball seat for FREE (thanks to a Whole Foods deal where when you spent $10 in groceries you got a $10 gift card to use on Prime Day)! I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to start this journey last school year and that this summer I was able to do my own professional development and even more research on what works and what does not. I am happy I have been able to fine tune how this will look and how I will implement flexible seating at the start of this coming school year. Here is one of my brainstorming designs for flexible seating in my classroom this year!
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