My students need flexible seating (wobble stools and floor seats) for small groups and independent work time so that they can wobble while working and learning!
I teach in a productive, rural school system that strives to meet the common and individual needs of each and everyone of our students. In total, our elementary school houses grades pre-k through sixth with a total of around 350 willing learners who come to school ready to learn no matter their interest, abilities, aptitudes, and learning styles. A little over 50% of those students come from low income families making it challenging for all students to come to school with the resources they need. Various academic supports are currently in place, including RTI, to ensure this all student needs are met successfully.
Specifically, I teach third grade and it is important for me to always make sure they are provided with every opportunity and every resource they need to be able to learn, work, and grow as students.
My classroom is the home to 40 eager learners in the areas of mathematics and science. Their abilities range from students with disabilities to students identified as gifted learners. I often use differentiated instruction to ensure I am meeting ALL of my students' needs.
My Project
My students have a huge range of learning needs and abilities. I teach students in a full inclusion room with about half of the students on individualized behavior and/or education plans. Many of these students accommodations include "frequent breaks" and "frequent movement." With that said, it is imperative that I create an environment that allows all of my students to be successful, including making sure I provide them with these accommodations.
By having wobble and stadium seats, my students will be able to "move" while learning which meets their accommodation needs without even having to leave the classroom.
Wobble and stadium seats allow students to move without getting up which is amazing as it will not distract the rest of my students learning. I obtained five exercise balls last school year to see how flexible seating would work and if the students really benefited from having the opportunity to move about in their seating. The students all begged to be the select few that could sit on the balls during every lesson and it truly did allow them to "move" without distracting others. In particular, during guided math groups when the children have to sit still for 20 minutes to solve mathematical problems at their level, they benefited from seating that provided movement while they learned.
Not only will my students who have disabilities benefit from wobble and stadium chairs, but my typically developing students will benefit as well. Knowing that all of my students are eight and nine years old, I understand that none of them are physically capable of sitting in the same regular chair all day long. By having access to wobble and stadium chairs, it will allow all of my students to learn more while being comfortable in learning their environment.
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