FLEXIBLE SEATING

A Lively Learning Experience

In Room 204, students are engaged in flexible seating. Each day, students have the option to work in collaborative stations, independent stations, and small group direct instruction. Each station is accompanied by it's own seating arrangement. Students may utilizing a variety of seating including: standing desks, stability balls, motion stools, bouncy bands, carpet squares, yoga mats, pillows, and more. 

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Flexible seating is a pillar of transforming a classroom into a community. It provides students with more opportunity to communicate and engage. Creating kinesthetic nooks for students propels student confidence and comfort in the classroom. As a result, students begin to form a sense of ownership in the classroom, and it prompts a more student-centered approach to both learning and teaching.

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Additionally, physical activity also prompts on-task behavior. Therefore, giving students the option to be working at mobile lap desks, lying in a corner of pillows, or working while sitting on mobile stools, drives their attention and focus.  As a student, I was always more productive in my work if I was given the space to be comfortable, yet active, in my learning. Each and every student learns differently, and flexible seating provides the flexibility students need to cater to their personalized learning needs. I am thrilled to give my students the opportunity to be active in our classroom. 

Furthermore, critical thinking skills are likely to heighten through the use of flexible seating as students will feel more ownership in their learning. When you are given the space you need as an individual to think freely and comfortably alongside your peers, more ideas and thoughts will flow. Having the RIGHT space to share our thinking is critical in middle school. Students need that space to motivate them to analyze, dissect, and revisit work. The fundamental skills we teach in middle school are reinforced and maximized in their career at the high school. It is pivotal that we build a rigorous foundation now.