Among Moore’s findings: flexible seating can give students a sense of choice, ownership,
and empowerment. Students can burn more calories, improve their postures, and engage
their metabolisms. Moderate physical activity can boost students’ academic performance,
health, and on-task behavior.
For Moore and Cox, the effort has paid off. Their students choose their own seats, often
moving multiple times a day to find areas and collaborators that help them be most
productive. Their students understand that they are accountable for their work. And
they’ve learned to avoid distractions — including arguments over seats.
A VISUAL GUIDE TO
SEATING OPTIONS
Cox says her students seem to prefer sitting closer to the front of the room for math, further
to the back for reading, and at a round table for collaborating. But the bigger point is that
each student can find what works best for himself or herself.
Stability balls
“I LIKE THE WOBBLE
STOOLS THE MOST,” SAYS
FOURTH GRADER CONOR,
“BECAUSE I CAN WOBBLE
AND CHANNEL MY ENERGY
SO I CAN LEARN BETTER.”
Stools
Standing desk
THE FUTURE IS FLEXIBLE
Understandably, some teachers are hesitant to rebuild
their classrooms from scratch.
Moore and Cox say the real beauty of flexible seating is
that it’s just that — flexible. Teachers can shape their
rooms and their plans to test the waters and find what
fits their comfort levels.
In Moore and Cox’s case, they started with extra
furniture from around the school, then restructured
their rooms with support from the school’s
administration and parents. Other OLM teachers
prefer to take things a bit slower.
“Even in second and third grades, teachers will use
flexible seating for certain subjects, instead of the whole
day,” Bebey says. “Or they’ll integrate some form of it
for students who need it. As opposed to kicking a desk
or disrupting another student, students can use that
energy to bounce in their seats.”
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Cox says teachers can adapt their plans based on the
subject and the individual classes. Flex ible seating
might be less appropriate for a chemistry lab, for
instance, than a math class.
While these details are important, Moore says the
ultimate goal isn’t just to change the seating. It’s a
larger paradigm shift that’s meant to help and empower
students — especially in light of a job market that offers
increasing flexibility in terms of roles and workspaces.
Of course, that doesn’t stop curious parents,
administrators, and teachers from trying out the
seats for themselves. Moore says many parents have
expressed that they would have benefited from flexible
seating growing up. And she has her favorite seating
options as well.
“I think the wobble stools are incredibly
comfortable,” Moore says. “I didn’t realize
how much I needed to move until I sat on
one myself.”
Wobble stools
Bed rest pillows
Low tables
Rugs
Bean bag chairs
Wobble cushions
Crates
Camping/Yoga mats
Lap desks
Round tables
Swivel chairs
FLEXIBLE SEATING IN YOUR CLASSROOM:
6 TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED
1 Decide on your ultimate goal.
Whether you’re increasing focus or developing
decision-making skills, find products and plans
that support your objective. 4 Remove unneeded furniture.
Flexible doesn’t have to mean cluttered. Moore
got rid of 10 desks and 20 chairs to create room
for new seating options.
2 Do the research.
Explore the latest case studies and data. You’ll
have a much easier time explaining your ideas
to parents and administrators. 5 Have more seats than you have students.
Not only does this provide additional seating for
visitors and guests, but it allows students to move
without disrupting others.
3 Establish guidelines.
Make sure students know what to expect —
as well as what’s expected of them — for using
and transitioning between seats. 6 Create a system for selecting seats.
Minimize arguments by establishing clear rules.
Moore recommends giving students popsicle
sticks to reserve their spots.
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