My students need to sit in spaces that reflect their different styles of learning. I was a "floor person" when I was a teenager, so I am starting there - yoga mats and floor seats.
I teach an incredibly diverse group of students, most of whom are college-bound, though some will enter the military or work force. They enlighten me and each other on a regular basis.
While we are a Title I school, many students are Middle Class, so the pressure to excel in order to obtain money for college is intense.
I listen to my students share brilliant ideas and heartwarming stories, but I also get burdened with the weights they carry with them. So many are one tragedy or overwhelming week away from a mental breakdown. That's not what being in high school is supposed to be.
My Project
We know that advancements in the 21st century have totally changed the way we learn and process, and yet we tend to keep students in rows in desks. This does not fit in their world or with the way they learn.
As a teacher who hopes to keep pushing myself, I am testing out flexible seating with my 12th graders next year in the hopes of better meeting them where they are.
Seniors today are more stressed out and anxious than ever. My classroom environment is one of the few ways I can help to provide them with an hour of calm.
For years students have commented on my cleanliness and the ambience provided by background music and lighting. It helps them. If this is another way "my" space will allow them to decompress while they are learning British Literature, I'm all about trying it out!
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