My students need comfy floor seats and pillows to maximize their learning in a flexible seating environment. Clipboards will be utilized when they do not sit at a table or desk.
Growing up as an educator’s daughter fostered my love of learning and the desire to become a teacher. I was raised in a rural district, but the type of education each student received dramatically differed depending on where they live and the type of family they were born into. My district happens to be one of those where most students come from broken homes. I currently teach in a rural NC district with nearly 80% of students receiving free breakfast/lunch.
In order to help students fall in love with learning, we must first give them a place where they are comfortable.
My hope is to provide my students with the tools and skills that they will need to be successful in their educational journey.
My Project
For the 2018-2019 school year, I will be moving into a portable classroom, separated from the building. I want to make this space as comfortable as possible, and a place where students feel that they can learn. Having flexible seating will give my students the opportunity to sit, lay, stand or whatever will make them comfortable in order to increase their learning and attention. Flexible seating can come in many ways: yoga balls to allow cushion and the chance to roll at their desk; pillows to sit or lay on for extra cushion and comfort.
I want my students to take responsibility of their learning.
There are many resources today that I was not exposed to as an elementary student years ago, and I can honestly say that flexible seating would have supported myself and fellow students in achieving our goals. These students need a “home away from home”, and a place where they are comfortable and ready to learn. I want our classroom to be a place that they never want leave and get excited to come to each and every day.
For my project, I would like a reading rug for a designated reading area. Here I will put the calming color pillows to create a cozy space to curl up with a book! The flex-space floor seats can be used throughout the room and provide an alternative seat during instruction and independent time. When students aren’t using desks, clipboards will be used instead.
I have seen how choice can positively affect other students’ work and demeanor through watching other classes, and I hope that these options will help us grow!
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