My students need a classroom full of various seating options such as ball chairs, balance balls, Wobble Cushions, stools, and lap desks that will allow them to learn in a way that is most productive for them.
My students range in age from 8-9 years old. Many of these students come from low income families and homes. All of these students have a wide variety of needs, ranging from gifted to students with special needs. Regardless of their ability, many of these students have a difficult time focusing and remaining in the same spot for a long period of time. When given the opportunity to learn in a way that works best for them, that is more active and engaging they become inspired and willing to do their very best. Our school is beginning to implement new ways to better reach students and one of those ways is through flexible seating!
My students need a classroom that is tailored to meet the variety of needs that are present.
The best way to accomplish this is through the use of flexible seating.
My Project
My students started the school year with the traditional method of seating. After much discussion about why they were having trouble focusing, many of them expressed a need for seating that allowed them to be moving and focusing on the lesson at the same time. After seeing other classrooms in the building implement flexible seating, we began the discussion about implementing it into our classroom. During this discussion we talked about the various kinds of seating options there were and what thought would work best for them. That is how we came up with this list of seating options.
My students love having choices and will enjoy being able to decide what seating option is best for their learning style.
My students want and NEED to stay active in order to fully focus on what we are learning in class. They are with me for over 3 hours of the day, and it can be hard for an 8-9 years old to sit still during that time. That is why, with the help of this project, they will be able to choose from a variety of options. For example, the stationary ball chairs will allow them to bounce and move while learning. The other exercise balls will allow the students to not only bounce and move while learning but will also allow them to roll around and wiggle while they learn. The stools will give the students the opportunity to sit at a higher table that they can sit and stand at. The wiggle cushions provide the students the chance to sit in a regular chair and still wiggle in their seat. The lap desks will allow the students to sit wherever they need to in the classroom so they can move around to different locations throughout the day.
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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. Simon and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
