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Mrs. Pickens’ Classroom Edit display name

  • Dunbar Middle School
  • Dunbar, WV
  • More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households

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Many of my students have difficulty focusing on reading because they cannot sit still. They are afflicted by attention and behavioral problems that make a quiet task like reading difficult. Flexible seating has been shown in research studies to help students increase their motivation and engagement, along with healthy side benefits such as burning calories and raising metabolism. I pull out four students at a time for intervention and we sit at a large table together. The items I have chosen for flex seating at this table are bouncy bands, exercise ball chairs, and active learning stools. The bouncy bands simply fasten around the legs of the chairs and let the children bounce their feet without disturbing the other students. The exercise ball chairs and chair pads allow students to use their core muscles to sit in place. This movement can help fidgety students be able to move in a way that isn't distracting to other students while improving their focus. One paper by Matthew T. Mahar etc. says, "Simple in-class activities can boost performance. Studies suggest that children who participate in short bouts of physical activity within the classroom have more on-task behavior, with the best improvement seen in students who are least on-task initially." If the students have more time on-task, they can spend more time with the intervention curriculums I have designed for them, and they can be more likely to reach their goal of reading on grade level by the end of the year. Integrating physical movement into their work will improve their focus. Also, having these special items that are just for them and their use in my classroom will make them more excited about coming to intervention sessions and increase their overall morale motivation.

About my class

Many of my students have difficulty focusing on reading because they cannot sit still. They are afflicted by attention and behavioral problems that make a quiet task like reading difficult. Flexible seating has been shown in research studies to help students increase their motivation and engagement, along with healthy side benefits such as burning calories and raising metabolism. I pull out four students at a time for intervention and we sit at a large table together. The items I have chosen for flex seating at this table are bouncy bands, exercise ball chairs, and active learning stools. The bouncy bands simply fasten around the legs of the chairs and let the children bounce their feet without disturbing the other students. The exercise ball chairs and chair pads allow students to use their core muscles to sit in place. This movement can help fidgety students be able to move in a way that isn't distracting to other students while improving their focus. One paper by Matthew T. Mahar etc. says, "Simple in-class activities can boost performance. Studies suggest that children who participate in short bouts of physical activity within the classroom have more on-task behavior, with the best improvement seen in students who are least on-task initially." If the students have more time on-task, they can spend more time with the intervention curriculums I have designed for them, and they can be more likely to reach their goal of reading on grade level by the end of the year. Integrating physical movement into their work will improve their focus. Also, having these special items that are just for them and their use in my classroom will make them more excited about coming to intervention sessions and increase their overall morale motivation.

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About my class

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