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Mrs. Traynham’s Classroom Edit display name

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Students in high school desperately need time to socialize and release energy, without getting into trouble. They no longer have recess and their lunch is incredibly short. In most classrooms, they are forced into rigid seating plans, at hard desks, and they feel compelled to sneak texts to friends. Flexible seating allows them to select their best learning location in the classroom and because they had a choice, they tend to take ownership in their learning, stay engaged, and be comfortable. I have 30 traditional desks in my room, as well as a couple of​ tables, two club chairs, and ten stack-able tools. Students rush to see who can get to the "comfy chairs" as they call them and if they use a stool, I have to hand them a clip board on which to write. Allowing students to move around the room, which gives them the choice in where they are able to work and with whom, helps lower their anxiety, which we call their affective filter. When students' affective filter is lowered, their motivation and ability to learn French increases. In our classroom, every day looks different, with listening, reading, speaking, and writing activities, as well as games, technology, whole-group, and small-group activities. The more desks that we replace with creative, movable options, the more readily we will be able to change our room into a restaurant environment or communication centers on the fly, for example. The bistro table and stools would provide a semi-private space for students to have a French conversation or work on a project. The folding pedal exercisers would be an option for those students who really need to move their legs while working, due to anxiety or ADHD. The Surf Portable Lap Desks gives them the ability to sit and write virtually anywhere!

About my class

Students in high school desperately need time to socialize and release energy, without getting into trouble. They no longer have recess and their lunch is incredibly short. In most classrooms, they are forced into rigid seating plans, at hard desks, and they feel compelled to sneak texts to friends. Flexible seating allows them to select their best learning location in the classroom and because they had a choice, they tend to take ownership in their learning, stay engaged, and be comfortable. I have 30 traditional desks in my room, as well as a couple of​ tables, two club chairs, and ten stack-able tools. Students rush to see who can get to the "comfy chairs" as they call them and if they use a stool, I have to hand them a clip board on which to write. Allowing students to move around the room, which gives them the choice in where they are able to work and with whom, helps lower their anxiety, which we call their affective filter. When students' affective filter is lowered, their motivation and ability to learn French increases. In our classroom, every day looks different, with listening, reading, speaking, and writing activities, as well as games, technology, whole-group, and small-group activities. The more desks that we replace with creative, movable options, the more readily we will be able to change our room into a restaurant environment or communication centers on the fly, for example. The bistro table and stools would provide a semi-private space for students to have a French conversation or work on a project. The folding pedal exercisers would be an option for those students who really need to move their legs while working, due to anxiety or ADHD. The Surf Portable Lap Desks gives them the ability to sit and write virtually anywhere!

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About my class

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