Flexible Seating

The Start of Flexible Seating

It’s my sixth year of teaching and I feel like I'm changing something every year..in a good way I'd say:) This year, the big change was creating a flexible learning environment for my students.

Our tech coach (Mandy Froehlich) wanted “rockstar" teachers..Although I am not a rockstar teacher yet, I decided to take on this challenge to help me become one!  I also love to take on challenges especially when they have great outcomes!

Our innovation team’s first hangout was on flexible seating in the classroom.  We looked at different seating options and read articles about the benefits of giving students the opportunity to comfortably work.  My first struggle was starting this in the middle of the school year.  How do I make this work for myself, my students, and even my parents?  I knew this was not going to be easy, but I took the step forward.

I started and lowered one of my tables that I already had in my classroom which gave students the choice to sit on the floor with cushions and carpet squares.  This was a hit with my students and it was so simple! Students were excited and more engaged during work time that it gave me the motivation to keep going!  Shortly after this I informed my parents about the changes that were going to happen in the classroom.  Many parents were excited, but a few disliked the idea and wanted their child to have their own desk and own space.  This scared me a little...parent support is so important! I hesitated to continue, but with a little support from my tech coach and principal, I was right where I left off!  They gave me the official “you can start now” and I literally ran with it!

The Learning Lounge

After my table was lowered, we took a few minutes each week cleaning desks, arranging, and emptying our classroom.  My second graders were so excited they even wanted to skip recess to finish fixing up the room!  I slowly changed and brought in items for the classroom (came in during spring break) and introduced how to use each furniture and the expectations for them.  Yes, that sounds a little ridiculous, but if you want them to last and be taken care of, it needs to happen!  

I currently have a small pod of four desks for students who still want to work at a desk, but have them grouped together for the ease of working in groups.  All other desks have been removed from my classroom which gave me tons of room!  Along with my pod of desks, my room is filled with different types of tables.  I have tall tables and shelves available for standing or sitting (a total hit with my standers) and different sized tables with wobble stools, chairs, and a bench.  Working in small groups is important in my classroom, but there are times when some students just want to work independently, so I have spaces around the classroom where chairs and stools can be moved around.  My latest addition were the tub chairs which really made my classroom feel like a lounge.  My students love to kick their feet up on the chair and read or write with a clipboard (shoes off of course)!  I even did this one day during lunch and watched a little TV on my phone:)

So far, students have been loving our learning lounge!  They use the furniture with care and switch out where they want to sit each time we do something new.  I couldn’t be happier that I made this change and am excited for more additions as the next school year start:)

Check out my video to see my classroom!

Zong Vang