Traditional vs. Flexible Seating - Creating a Classroom that Works

I've always tried to give students options about where to sit, but I just recently learned the term "flexible seating." In case you haven't heard, flexible seating is the new, hot trend for the classroom. It takes the idea of a Starbucks-like atmosphere where teachers create a variety of different zones, work spaces, and seating options while students can sit where they choose to work comfortably. I have to say that I've struggled with this concept all year. I've been on and off and flexible-seating trend.

At first I was adamantly against it! Where would all their supplies go? How would I organize the room? Where do I start? It all seemed so overwhelming. Plus, I strongly held the opinion that students needed the ownership and responsibility that came with having their own desk. Then the pendulum swung...

I felt myself getting pulled over the the flexible seating side. I could see a vision of it working. Pinterest made it look so easy! I could imagine how my next year's classroom could be set up! I could conquer all my seating woes and rock at this! Students would be sitting and learning and it would change the world! (Yes, my visions and expectations get a little dramatic!)

Then I had an epiphany...I spent so much me time - thinking about my expenses, my set-up, my classroom. I forgot the most important part. Ask the students. Duh! It seems so obvious, it is their classroom and their learning, but it was the one part that I had missed in my whole back-and-forth, figuring-it-out-myself-process: I needed to involve the very people that would be using it. So I did.

I talked with my second grade students about what flexible seating was and we talked about the seating we had now. I wanted their opinions. I may have been a bias (I was fully on the flexible seating bandwagon at this point) as I really tried to talk up flexible seating - "It'll be great...comfy spots everywhere..free to go where you want..." I felt like Oprah, "You get a seat, you get a seat, EVERYBODY GETS A SEAT!" But, boy oh boy, did the students have an opinion.

They want desks. 

- They liked the storage (one of the first comments a student said was, "Where would we put all our stuff?"). 

- They liked the responsibility (they usually graduate from tables to desks when they come to second grade so it's kind of a big deal to them)

- They liked the personal storage and freedom (some students store treasures or trinkets and most take great pride in maintaining their very own desk)

And they want flexible seating. 

- They like extra space to work.

- They like the options of different places to sit and different things to sit on.

Desks and seating and tables and chairs and teaching, oh my! How could I do this? 

Then I realized I already was. 

Here's what's been working for me for the past few years. Apparently, it's what working for the students too. I use combination of traditional and flexible seating. Although I've never really called it flexible seating, in my head it was always just "extra work spaces." You know, for when students needed to move away from a distracting neighbor, or they wanted more room to work, or they just needed a change of scenery.

Students have desks, but we also have different areas around the room and different seats to use within the room for independent work time.

Here's what's been working for me:

I started small. My school had 3 bumpy seats for students and I inherited 2 stadium seats when my grandparents moved out of their apartment. 

This was a little table that another teacher removed from their room. I thought my students might like to sit on it, but they really like to work at it, even though it's short. One of my students (who's a little shorty-pie) exclaimed with glee, "It's just my size!" The scoop rockers are stored here. I purchased them at Wal-Mart and they're used all around the room.

This is the back wall of my room with my short table in the middle. The other two tables are tall tables and were acquired from a seller on a Facebook site. Unfortunately they are not adjustable, but the students like to use large chairs with them or stand at them. They've also been very popular this year to work under. 

This is another tall table on another side of the room. The red chairs are leftovers from a kindergarten room (my students love to sit on the little chairs or sometimes they use them as a table). The rolling chair I purchased at Goodwill. I thought it was excellent because it wasn't plush so I could easily wash and disinfect it from time to time. I also came across an exercise ball at Goodwill. I've seen posts where teachers put them in crates to keep them corralled, but it's never been an issue for me. Sometimes students will use it around the room or they'll roll it over to their desk or another table they work it. It works well and it is DURABLE!

Isn't this awesome?! This is a small part of our library, but the chair was from a first grade teacher who said it was too big for her students. I gladly took it off her hands. The students love it! We made expectations for it (2 students max at a time) and it's been a great addition in our classroom. 

I've been fortunate to accumulate vinyl beanbags throughout my teaching career (thank you rummage sales and back to school sales). They always go flat, but I've been slowly stuffing extra plastic bags in them to try to beef them up - there's always a surplus of plastic bags around my house so this helps instead of buying all the beans that go flat! I was lucky enough to have 2 desks with swinging bars for feet (you can see one in the picture). They don't belong to any specific student, but they are probably the most sought-after spots. The students can silently swing their feet as they work or listen to a lesson.

I'm also missing a picture of a hexagon table (well, 2 trapezoid tables if you want to get technical) that are tucked by my mathboard to create another work space. 

With all these work areas you might think I'm crazy to also keep 21 desks in my room. I might be. But it's not cluttered (unless you count my desk!) and students work so well throughout the day. How do we manage it all? Together we've created expectations for using our work spaces and special seats. 

The students had a voice in helping me craft this. I was nervous and included the bit about giving a warning or taking the spot back, but honestly, I've never had to (I've given a warning, maybe). We followed our Franklin Way - Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. We kept the expectation that we could revisit and revise these rules if we needed, but it hasn't been necessary.  

Thank you for taking a little glimpse into my classroom seating and reading about what works for me. It has served me well over the years and I keep accumulating a little at a time to add to or replace the options. Call it flexible seating, call it traditional seating, call it work spaces. Whatever it is, it works for me...and my students!

Katie Tennessen