I am a special Education teacher at CM ES where a majority of students receive free or reduced price lunch. There are four special educators on my team. The students we work with have disabilities that range from moderate to more severe. We work with students who have learning disabilities, speech and language impairments, emotional disabilities and Autism. Many of them have experienced trauma in their lives. My students sometimes have emotional needs that may prevent them from reaching their full academic potential.
My Project
Flexible seating allows students to take charge of their learning and make the choices that work best for them. During independent work times they choose a location in the classroom that works for them. Currently my students are choosing to work in a variety of locations in our room such as: at different tables, sitting under tables with clip boards, or sitting or laying on the floor with a clip board. Making sure students are comfortable is an essential component in motivating them. I have noticed amazing differences in my students when they are given a choice in their seating. They almost always make good choices about where they sit, are more engaged, and get more work completed than when they are just sitting at their desk.
My students are noticeably more engaged in their work and less disruptive of their peers when they are given a choice of where to work.
The products that I have selected will help my students by giving them additional seating options to make more effective learning choices. The wobble stools are adjustable and will allow students to sit at desk/higher tables but will still allow some movement. These will be extremely beneficial for some students that just need to get the wiggles out. They can also be used as an alternative chair if needed! The balance balls and the beanbag chairs will allow for additional comfortable floor seating options. They are lightweight and can be easily used in many areas of the classroom.
I have seen how choice can positively affect my students work and demeanor and hope that the additional options will help us grow even more!
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