Building Classroom Community Through Student Choice of Seating
Help me give my students a dry erase table that can be lowered for floor seating or raised for standing and options for flexible seating like dice ottomans and balance disks for maximum learning in my Math class!
I've taught at a Title I school, in a small mill town in North Carolina, for 14 years. More than 80% of the school population receives free and/or reduced lunch.
This school and its students have my heart.
I often tell people that my mission at my school is to love, teach, and foster a love of learning in the students that I teach. They are "my kids" and I strive to show them a caring relationship with an adult, consistent discipline, and hold them to the highest of expectations for their learning, regardless of background or socioeconomic status. In my classroom, every student can grow and learn and they are held accountable for their learning.
In order to accomplish the mission I have set forth in my classroom, I need resources that will engage, motivate, and prepare my students for the world outside of our small town.
My Project
Students in my Math class come from all backgrounds and have specific learning environment needs. Some students are comfortable in a typical desk and chair situation (like most classrooms have) but others have different needs for maximizing their learning. Some students love to stand and learn, while others like to wiggle and move. I would love to add these resources for flexible seating and a dry erase table to use as options for my students to choose from during instruction, small group, and independent work time. Students will love choosing a dice ottoman (of course for MATH class!), a balance disc, or a Bilibo rocker-type chair to sit on and work! The adjustable dry erase table will allow me to either lower the table so students can sit on the floor or raise it to standing height to work. By giving students choice of where and how they work - they will feel empowered and are more likely to be engaged in class when learning.
Students will know that I value the way that they learn best - through sitting or standing - which helps me build classroom community.
I want my classroom to feel like an inviting community place where mistakes and growth can happen all year long for everyone! In our own homes we have lots of options for seating and we always choose what's most comfortable...what student wouldn't like the same option in the room that they are in for the most hours of the day?!
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