Help me give my students the wobble chairs and balance ball seats to balance their education with their bodies. A more developed core will help my students focus on their work and increase their productivity in the classroom.
$2,587 goal
This project expired on March 15, 2019.
This project expired on March 15, 2019.
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
I teach 12-13 year students earth, life, and physical science at a blended learning middle school. Boys and girls who are excited to learn twenty-first century science. Approximately 30 students have IEPs and/or 504s, not including the undocumented 15% who have anxiety and ADD/ADHD.
These students are coming to school ready to learn, but are often fidgety and distracted because of their spatial awareness.
This means these students are trying to control their body (sitting in hard, uncomfortable chairs) learning in a multitude of ways that includes computer work, labs, collaboration with peers, and developing problem solving and higher level thinking skills. I want the opportunity to help my students feel comfortable, build core muscles, which will develop higher brain functions, and develop deeper understanding in the classroom!
My Project
Blended seating, sometimes referred to as flexible seating, dictates comfort-ability in a student's learning environment. As a blended learning school, the environment in which we are trying to shape our students will allow increased creativity while enriching their academic growth. As a seventh grade science teacher, I want my students to engage in science lessons that will enable them to develop critical thinking skills while working on computer-based activities, peer collaboration tasks, lab directives, etc. However, according to research, core muscles and posture have declined, so using balance seats and wobble stools will develop these skills and overcome computer-based-learning posture.
I have noticed a difference in students academic performance when seat choice is given: wobble stools, standing desks, and balance ball seats have improved student focus and academic performance.
Choice seating and preferential seating is built in to students with IEPs and 504s, but not to general education students. With a blended/flexible seating arrangement, balance balls and wobble stools will expand the preferential seating to all students. The products I have selected will fit with my classroom lab tables and develop core muscles. Most importantly, we will be able to conduct experiments at on going rates using our lab tables.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Hardigree and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
