What Happens When You Win a Flexible Seating Makeover?

Jaylyn Fisher looked out on her classroom of 24 standard desks and chairs, which were probably older than she was, and wondered if there was a better way.

Actually, she knew there was. She remembered manufactures like this one, linking regular physical movement to better academics. And she thought virtually studies like this 1, linking stability balls and flexible seating to improved focus in students. There was no incertitude in Jaylyn's heed that her fifth graders in Kenosha, Wisconsin, could benefit from flexible seating, too.

"Kids need regular movement," Jaylyn says. "And flexible seating is a great way to give that to them."

Jaylyn's students piece of work on a project together while using flexible seating.

Set for a change

Since she didn't have the upkeep to redo all the seating in her classroom, Jaylyn put together a fundraising request online.

"Help me give my students a multifariousness of seating options that promote collaboration, communication, and comfort!" she wrote. "With regular chairs, students are isolated from 1 another, and that does non allow for sharing and expressing great ideas! The stools, cushions, and table volition allow my students to get together comfortably and exist active trouble solvers."

Even though small donations trickled in here and there, it didn't make much of a paring in her wish list. But and then WeAreTeachers saw Jaylyn'due south posting and called their friends at Moving Minds to see if they could help.

Moving Minds is a Minnesota visitor known for providing innovative solutions for building active classrooms, inclusive of active seating, continuing desks, and collaborative work spaces. They had a perfect solution for Jaylyn'south classroom—one of their active classroom packs—so they bundled a special delivery.

This 5th-course classroom got a whole new wait!

A flexible seating makeover

The WeAreTeachers squad arrived on a Friday afternoon when Jaylyn and her students were out of schoolhouse. They completely switched out the traditional chairs in the classroom for Moving Minds stools, ball chairs, and other flexible seating from the classroom pack. Then they also added some TiltED seats and a SmartStudy Whiteboard Desk-bound . They couldn't expect to surprise Jaylyn and her students the following Mon. (You lot can lookout man the surprise in the video below.)

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwhW4Q45m1c[/embedyt]

"Information technology was like a Disney World kind of moment," Jaylyn said. "I had kids peeking through the windows that forenoon, trying to catch a glimpse of the new seats. They couldn't wait to get into class."

While some of the other teachers expressed business organisation near Jaylyn'south all-in approach to flexible seating, she never looked dorsum. On the first solar day, she prepare rules and guidelines with her kids. And since she uses a collaborative, group arroyo in her teaching, all the students would get to try out all the chairs.

"I've had virtually no complaints, concerns, or issues," she said. "The students really do love the seats and are thankful we take them. Some teachers idea I would have classroom management issues or behavior bug, but it's actually reduced those things overall."

Jaylyn said her students are more on job than before.

Allow kids move!

Then how did flexible seating actually decrease classroom management challenges? In a few ways. For example, Jaylyn said she has a couple of students in her course that don't similar to sit down. Since the beginning of the school year, they've always been upwards and about, moving around. But since the new flexible seating has come up in, they move around less.

"These same kids who never liked to sit are at present sitting," Jaylyn said. "In turn, this has led to far fewer classroom disruptions, concerns, and even calls home. I know the flexible seating is a big reason why."

Jaylyn knows not all teachers are ready to make a full-fledged switch like she did, just she really believes it can work well if students are prepared and expectations are clearly ready. Plus, she'south never been one to shy away from trying something new, and she's glad she was able to give her students this experience. In the chiliad scheme of things, it might seem like a small way to influence their overall learning, merely she knows it'due south made an impact.

"I consistently tell my students to do something every mean solar day to brand the globe a better place," she said. "Therefore, I want to provide them with as many opportunities to spread their wings and fly on to middle schoolhouse and beyond!"

Here'southward the before and after of the flexible seating makeover in Jaylyn'due south classroom.

P.S. We have some amazing news! Right now we're giving away all of the flexible seating from Jaylyn'due south classroom. Plus, inbound takes just a few seconds. See how you lot can win a flexible seating makeover for your classroom!

lambertprighorky1989.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.weareteachers.com/flexible-seating-makeover/

Share this post