I am a huge proponent of flexible seating as I work best laying on my stomach on the floor. Choice is a huge motivator for students so I have seen a lot of success from letting students choose where they will best learn. I was absolutely blessed with two amazing cooperating teachers during my student teaching and here I saw them both use different forms of flexible seating. These examples provided me with the information needed to jump into flexible seating in my first year teaching.
There are a few key pieces that you need to think about before taking on this task in your own classroom.
1. Do I need control?
I am a little bit of a control freak but going into this project I knew that I would have to give some of that control to the kids. Now, when I am referring to control I am talking about choosing every students seat in the classroom. If you truly want students to find their best learning environment, you will have to let the kids explore and figure out what is best for them.
2. How will I get these flexible seating options?
There are many flexible seating options that you can use in your class room and the prices of these items definitely vary. My classroom is filled with flexible seating that were donated from family and friends and items that were fundraised for through Donors Choose. Before you begin this task I would recommend talking with your principal first, as some schools have different policies about fundraising and donations.
3. Where will I store all of these items?
Flexible seating can take up a lot of room or can be stored in a corner. It all depends on the items you are gathering for your students to use. My biggest advice is to find a place where each piece can call "home". This will help a lot with keeping your room clean and organized. For small pieces like pillows and cushions I have used laundry baskets and bins to store them all in.
4. How do I teach rules and procedures with flexible seating?
Teaching procedures and the rules of flexible seating is the same as teaching any other procedure in your classroom...practice! At the beginning of the school year take the time to go over your rules with your students and then slowly introduce each flexible seating option to your class. Make sure to talk about expectations with each piece as the rules may be different. I also suggest hanging a poster with the flexible seating expectations as a visual reminder for students.
5. How will students store their school supplies?
This is a huge question that you absolutely must ask yourself and figure out prior to using flexible seating in your classroom. Some pieces can be moved easily to each desk in the classroom, while other items are used without a desk. If students are moving around or do not have desks to place their supplies in, then you will need somewhere for students to put their utensils. In an upcoming blog I will discuss some of the best way to store student utensils with flexible seating.
After reading through this, you see the benefits of flexible seating and think that it is a realistic option for your classroom then 100% go for it! I love flexible seating and have gotten so much positive feedback from parents regarding it. In the upcoming weeks I will be releasing more blog posts with more tips and tricks of flexible seating so stay tuned! If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me. I absolutely love hearing from all of you!
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