Flexible Seating + Core Building= Focused Students
My students need the Condo Ball Chair because it will assist with their ability to focus in my class. This will be possible because the yoga balls will allow for controlled movements during lessons.
In our district, we have over 40 different languages spoken. Why is that critical? It shows that we have students that come from all around the world and with all different types of backgrounds.
In my two fourth grade ELA classes, there are students reading from a second-grade level all the way up to a sixth-grade level.
In that, students come to class with a range of interests. Some like sports, animals, comedy, graphic novels and the list continues. My kids are eager to become better readers, and they all know that starts with individual practice of books at their level!
My Project
Current research has shown that students need movement throughout the day in order to be successful. It is a standard rule of thumb to use the student's age as a guide to know how long their focus can last. That means my students can stay engaged for 9-10 minutes at a time before needing movement. This is a challenging demand as I teach all the standards that are required throughout the year. Often, lessons take more focus than 9-10 minutes.
Allowing my students to use yoga balls for their seats, will allow them to continually have movement, which will allow for longer engagement periods.
I have piloted the use of yoga balls, by purchasing 5 yoga balls and getting feedback from my students. They absolutely love the ability to use them.
There are two downsides to my current state. First, I only have 5 yoga balls for classes that have 24 and 26 students respectfully. Second, since the yoga balls do not have the chair, they are often rolling around the room. This happens accidentally as students are moving around the room. It also becomes time-consuming because my students must move their chair to the back of the room, and bring the yoga ball to their spot.
Again, having the yoga balls in the chair will allow ALL my students in my class to use them at the same time. It will help them with organization, focus, and retention, along with engagement. Finally, as an added bonus these yoga-ball chairs come with a back support. While students can get a great core workout during class, they can also have a more comfortable and relaxing experience.
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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 Mr. Wardzala and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
