My students need seating options like a table high enough they can stand while they work to stretch their growing legs, and stools they can wobble on to move while their brains work!
My kids are one amazing crew! They are gaining independence daily, figuring out how to be accountable for themselves. Teaching them to make good choices, even when they aren't always the fun choices, is a daily goal as a teacher. I have a myriad of kiddos from high achieving gifted students to life skills students and everything in between. Their favorite things include sports, with a healthy Philly v. Pittsburgh rivalry seeing as we are in the middle, video games (I'm still not sure what FortNite is and I'm ok with that), and being on their phones whenever possible. They are all about social experiences and joking around whenever possible, always full of personality!
Even if they won't always admit it, they love to learn!
They want to learn through experiences. They want ownership of their space and the ability to have some choice in their learning. As crazy as they can make you, I am truly lucky to have them.
My Project
Middle school kids are growing, and their bodies need to move. They have all kinds of energy, but are expected to sit still for a majority of their day, which really just doesn't make sense. By giving the students a choice of where they feel they will learn best, they not only have some ownership of their learning, but can physically be in a place their mind can work.
When I asked the kids what their ideal classroom would look like, it included high tables they could stand at, and options like bean bags for sitting comfortably on the floor.
They were excited about being able to stretch out and have some different options that would be more comfortable. When I thought about it, I felt the same way as an adult. I don't like being stuck sitting at my desk or stuck in a chair at a meeting, I like options too!
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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 Ms. D'Ambrosia and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
