Community Chat

[Shorty2U]

It doesn't matter to me where or how they sit, it matters to me that they are learning.

PS (I am still upset they stopped teaching cursive writing when people have to sign their names on licenses and everything!). I actually taught my 2 younger grandkids how to write cursive when i watched them in the Summer because it bothered me! 

[garmer]

I'm thankful that our district still teaches cursive.

[Carmie]

When I was in the second grade, my teacher set up her classroom chairs in a horseshoe shape.  She said everyone had a front row seat.  She could easily walk in front of everyone's desk and see how they were doing.  I have no problem with where Traditional chairs are placed.

Last year I commented about a liberal teacher where I volunteer who allowed her kids to sit or lay anywhere they wanted to in the classroom. Kids are laying on the floor everywhere. Some are in bean bag chairs and some are sitting on red balls and bouncing all over the room.  I feel the room is a fire trap.  It is very difficult for anyone to walk in the room without tramping on or stepping over the kids.

They also take their shoes and socks off and throw them everywhere.  I asked the teacher how she could work in that environment.  The kids are loud and there is always some clowning and/ or arguing going on.  The noise in that room is really, really loud.

i asked not to be assigned to that classroom. I love kids, but can't stand the noise and I am not comfortable climbing over kids laying on the floor.

Well, I received many negative comments from the teachers on this forum.  Many apparently feel this is a better way to teach and they say it works.

i have no idea how these kids will be able to hold a job if they are allowed to lounge around all through school.  I hope they can learn to sit at a desk in a chair, before they graduate.

[Mominohio]

Not an educator, and haven't read the replies, but was very involved in my son's school (now 21) when he was little.

He went to a very small private school that stressed hands on learning. Lots of movement, lots of alternative seating (floor rugs, lofts, etc.) and the kids learned and performed much above grade level.

There were parts of the day that were more structured, but a lot of the day you'd walk into the classroom and find kids stretched out all over the place. 

School turned out all kids performing above grade level, very confident, and successful. 

Has to be managed by competent and engaged teachers.

[qualitygal]

@Carmie, I agree with your valid points. If they sat and behaved, but the description of them all over the place, can already be seen in some of the behaviors of young ones.  NOT ALL, just SOME. But as a child will say, "well if they can do it, I want to too". 

[StylishLady]

I asked DH about this, he taught high school biology for  32 years. He used traditional seating, but arranged students in alphabetical order, with Z,Y,X,etc. in front and A,B,C etc. in back. When the kids handed in homework papers, quizzes, etc. they would be in alphabetical order.

Funniest story he tells about an incident in college. One professor decided it would be best for discussion if the students sat in a circle. Note that this was when the young coeds were wearing very short skirts. Well, he said the guys would run to class early and take up seats on one side of the circle. You can guess why. The next class, the chairs were back in rows!

[Twins Mom]

I subbed last year in 5th grade classroom with alternative seating...high top tables, low coffee tables, bean bags, etc. The worst was the lighting. Overhead lights not used. Various lamps were around room. I had difficulty reading some things because of bit. I also found it difficult to walk around room to see if students on task or understanding material without dodging bodies. I also noticed some students taking advantage of disorder to not be on task. I wonder how they will adjust to traditional classroom as they transition to middle school next year. I get some freedom for certain times but this was too much in my book.

[Yardlie]

Wow...when I was in elementary school, there were always 30-32 students in each classroom with no teacher's aide. I remember we always had to sit in the same place every day. In the beginning of fourth grade, I sat in the front row because I was very tiny. As the year progressed, the teacher put me and a few others in the back row so she could put all the misbehaving boys in the front. I couldn't see the board from the back row, so I told my mother. She called the teacher, and the teacher told me that when I couldn't see, I should walk up front and sit in the chair by her desk. This is embarrassing to a shy little girl, and I would have been sitting there all day.

My parents took me to the eye doctor who discovered that I had a lazy eye. I had been to other eye doctors who never diagnosed it. By that time, it was uncorrectable. The new eye doc gave me glasses which caused double vision. It ended up with my parents having to go to the principal so that I could move back up front. Because of that, the teacher was rude to me the rest of the year and bullied me about my shyness.

I like the idea of alternative schools and alternative seating. We all have different learning styles, abilities to concentrate, physical problems, and different personalities. Why does everything have to be so rigid in classrooms? Yes, I did teach for several years...although older students. I do think actions should have consequences though for those who misbehave. This doesn't always have to be punishment. It can mean privileges for those who do behave.