My students need these type of chairs for flexible seating since some are anxious and have attention deficit disorder; others just need to move and get their minds going.
I teach in a city school where many students get free lunches and are from broken homes. I have a diverse group of learners and this year is the first year the honors program started (those aren’t my 10th graders), but I want to show them that they could be. They just don’t know it yet because many aren’t being pushed at home or really challenged in the traditional classroom. Many have an attendance problem. Many are anxious. Many are just going through the motions. Many are falling through the cracks.
I’m invested in these students and noticed that they become interested and excited when there’s a different approach.
I also have one class that earns college credit through a local community college (11th and 12th graders). I’m trying to show these sophomores that they can be successful and even get into the honors or college classes. I’ve already seen a change in their classroom performance. They need to be shaken out of the routine of traditional learning so they stop just going through the motions and become active learners. I know that these chairs will be inviting and that ALL of my students will benefit from having them.
My Project
My students are ready for a different approach to traditional learning and it starts with the environment. I’ve spent a lot of my own money on colorful, inspirational posters, bins, bookcases, stools, and tons of high interest novels for our class library. But, I need some help to create a flexible seating option. I worked very hard to get tables over desks and it took me over 5 years to get my district to fund them. My students and I love them, but we need more flexible seating options.
These chairs will help me establish spaces for my CSI:NT teams for reading and analyzing literature.
These chairs will be used to create discussion circles and for game challenges.
My plan is to have the exercise chairs available to offer a choice or some may even be assigned to certain students (if they truly will benefit most); also for our whole class fish bowl discussions to encourage participation.
The bungee chairs will create a corner for students who were absent to provide a quiet space to read and catch up. Also, that space will be for students who are advanced and need a separate space for additional reading.
My room is a community of learners that make choices and I want that to include seating. When given choices, they get excited and inspired. They deserve to be comfortable in their learning space. They also need a way to release their nervous energy. I know my students can be more successful with this type of seating option. I know that having these seats available can help them learn because they will rise to any challenge in order to use them. They will want to be the leaders and to participate in the discussion just to sit in them.
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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 Mrs. Stawisuck and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.