This page is a description of how I made the change in my classroom to Flexible Seating. I absolutely LOVE flexible seating! The boys and girls have CHOICE in where they will do their best work. They understand that I have the right to move them if they make a choice that isn't working for them. I don't have to worry about assigned seating. It makes things easier for a sub not having to worry about who is supposed to sit where (don't worry, I have tips/rules in my sub binder).
Here is an updated pic of our classroom! (I changed my theme this summer so it looks a little different!)
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For the past several months I have been inspired by other classrooms (on Pinterest of course) to make the switch to flexible seating. I have always had different seating options for my students to use during their quiet time and reader's workshop but have never given them seating choices during our whole group work time. After searching the web for pros and cons to flexible seating, I decided it was a MUST for my classroom! After 7 years of teaching Kindergarten, I have tried making my classroom more developmentally appropriate for active, overstimulated 5/6 year olds. I can't say flexible seating is the "cure all" for this issue, but I am a believer that it is helping my students be more motivated to stay on-task during whole group and small group work times! Read on to see the process... Here is my before picture! A typical Kindergarten classroom complete with student desks, chairs, student computers, and a teacher desk. This is the photo I used on my Donors Choose project to show how I am currently using different seating options for students to do their work. In my project I requested the following: 2 wobble stools, 2 ball chairs with feet, a set of 5 pillows, a set of 6 "soft seats" (pillows that kind of look like flat-ish soccer balls), 6 foamy soft bath mats, 2 wobble cushions. I submitted my project on Jan. 23 - it was fully funded by Jan. 28!! See my project details here. (I purchased scoop rockers on my own after submitting my project because they were not an option through the Donors Choose vendors, which I'm SO glad I did because they are sure a favorite for the kiddos!) DELIVERY DAY!! IT CAME SO FAST. SO FAST IN FACT THAT I WASN'T QUITE READY FOR IT SO I STAYED LATE 2 NIGHTS REARRANGING THE ROOM.... AND CLEANING OUT MY DESK! Since we live in Indiana and the weather causes us to have LOTS of indoor recess, I was grateful for these boxes! The kiddos totally jumped on the opportunity to get creative with the empty boxes! (Don't worry, getting closed in a box was completely voluntary) Allisyn even took advantage of the opportunity to use the box as a seat during our Literacy Centers! LOVE the creativity that comes from a cardboard box!! <3 More seating options for the students means less seating options for the teacher! Do teachers actually sit at a desk anyway?! SO bye bye teacher desk!! I sent an email to our maintenance crew at 8am on Monday, they were in my room during recess at 10am taking legs off tables and digging tables from storage (which anyone who works in a school knows are few and far between so I was grateful for anything I could get!!) Here are a few pics of the flexible seating choices in action! We have been spending a LOT of time going over procedures for how to use the seating choices (it kind of feels like the first week all over again with all of the procedures!) {I think it helps that the #1 rule is that Mrs. Ripley can take away a seat if it's not being used properly heehee} HOWEVER >>> since I already had some different seating choices in our room before, the novelty wasn't quite as dramatic as one would expect! They were definitely excited about the new options but I've been super pleased with how well they are doing making their choices and doing their work. And here are the AFTER photos... the thing I have found to be the most beneficial is the amount of SPACE I have in my room! I am loving the new arrangement and the boys & girls are adjusting so well. I'm excited to see the benefits as the year goes on! Here is a side by side before and after (this is the view as you enter my classroom from the hallway). Look at all that FLOOR SPACE!!!! A HUGE shoutout the Donors Choose for giving me the opportunity to have my project FULLY funded. When I submitted my project, donorschoose.org was matching any contribution up to $50. My project also qualified for 2x match by The First Million Fund.
I want to thank the following sponsors for supporting my classroom and helping me reach my goal so quickly: Kelly Armes, Laurie Webster, Sheila Abbott, Diane Ripley, Caity Robbins, Jody Hurst, Lana Sprunger, Quinn Moller, Cindy Grubaugh, and Debbie Hrdy. |
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