My students need wobble cushions and balance balls to use in our flexible seating classroom. By giving students an opportunity to choose how they want to learn they will learn more.
I have the best kindergarten students around. They come into class with big smiles on their faces, ready to learn. We start each day with circle time and where we remind each other that mistakes are good. I try to instill in my class that we learn more when we take chances and make mistakes. I even give them a little of the brain research behind it. They feel very smart the first day of school when I tell them that their brains grow every time they make a mistake. With this in mind, I like to have an open classroom where students know what is expected of them ,and I always expect them to do more than their best.
This is my third year in kindergarten.
I am just as excited as my students to learn new things. One thing I have learned is that it is amazing to make lessons come alive. I try to incorporate as much hands-on and out-of-the-box thinking in all my lessons for this reason. We have a great classroom environment where everyone celebrates our mistakes and our new learning.
My Project
Teaching kindergarten has taught me the importance of choice and movement during the day. Over the years I have always given my students the option of how they want to work. Whether it be standing during whole group discussions, bouncing on excerzize balls during small group reading lessons, or sitting on or under tables. This year I would like to give my students the choice of a wobble cushion instead standing behind their table or sitting in a chair. I would use the wobble cushions at one or more of my tables. This would give students the choice of a cushion or chair when they pick their learning space for the day. I would also use the balance balls at my reading table for a change in seating during small group instruction. When students have a choice in their learning they in return will learn more.
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