Your thoughts on classroom "alternative seating"? - Page 4

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

@Mellie32 wrote:
@tansy wrote:
Won't the kids fight over the more fun seats?
Yep. I believe that's one problem.

Well, there is a teacher in the room and you know, keeping order and actually having a plan is part of their job...lol

Mellie32 · ‎03-13-2010

@chrystaltree wrote:
@Mellie32 wrote:
@tansy wrote:
Won't the kids fight over the more fun seats?
Yep. I believe that's one problem.

Well, there is a teacher in the room and you know, keeping order and actually having a plan is part of their job...lol

True. And some teachers don't do that well.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

@jaxs mom wrote:
I think it's funny that so many people are insecure with any change from what they knew growing up that they turn it into the default of acceptable and "normal".

The responses, some of them, made me laugh. There are a lot of older senior citizens on this board and stuff like this is new to them. Even though it's been routine for 35 or 40 years.

SaRina · ‎04-17-2015

I think there's a lot to be said for discipline and order in the classroom and I think such a classroom setup lends itself more to chaos and leniency. That's not to say I think like a drill sergeant... but discipline, having an orderly environment, following direction, to me, teaches boundaries, respect for oneself as well as for others, and certainly respect for teacher, which are critically important in a child's formative years.

I think we have been making too many allowances with children both in and out of the classroom in recent decades. That's what children then come to expect.

I can see utilizing a freer classroom environment for part of the day, but not as a matter of routine for the entire day.

Of course, the bottom line is... does this more relaxed set-up enhance learning? Studies would need to be done. If it does, I'm all for it.

lolakimono · ‎03-29-2012

At my school, some teachers have done this in small doses. One teacher did desks in groupings of 6 (three facing in on one side, three facing in on the other). One student formed the "head" of the table and sat on an exercise ball. She rotated through the students, but that "special" student was usually one who could not sit still in a regular seat.

Some logistics to consider:

In one teacher's room, where more than half of the seating was "inflatable", some students with asthma/allergies had issues with the chemicals from the plastics/latex.

In middle school, where there might be 35 kids each period times six periods, it is difficult to sanitize the seating. Last year, we had a student with MRSA who was not identified to the teachers while it was going on.

The teacher who had one per grouping of six had to store the exercise balls on paper plates (to keep from rolling) on top of the counters every night, so the custodians could sweep the floors. That counter space had to be clear the entire year just to accommodate the balls and her classroom set of textbooks. She is pretty fanatical about cleanliness, so I'm sure she wiped the balls often, but they're not something the custodians would have "cleaned" for her.

There is the issue with short term/long term storage as well. I assume that she used a bicycle pump to inflate them, but over the summer all of those would need to be deflated to store in the cupboard. To make room for the flexible seating, the regular chairs/desk combinations had to be removed. Our classrooms are barely big enough to fit the regular desks and the large class sizes, so to have a regular classroom set of desks plus additional seating is a problem. In addition, during our high stakes testing, all classrooms have to be ready for a testing environment, which means that the desks that the teacher had to remove and put into long term storage at the beginning of the year would have to be brought back for testing.

Lastly, for things like the exercise balls, there is a weight limit and recommended height/weight for each size of ball. It has to be sturdy enough to accommodate the heaviest/tallest student in the class, which may not work for all students. I can imagine the liability I would face if a student were bouncing and fell on the floor.

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

As long as it keeps the children engaged and they learn, I'm all for it.

Harpa · ‎03-10-2010

I am pretty close-minded about this sort of thing, being in education for many years, teaching at every level.

Maybe for story time in elementary years, but I favor traditional seating where there are as few distractions as possible. Save that type of seating for the family room, where the family gathers to watch a movie.

If anyone has to teach in an environment like that, all I can say is good luck!

hennypenny · ‎03-10-2010

K through eighth grade I went to a progressive school where seating was quite flexible. I never thought it was different or unusual.

When I got to public high school I was miserable from day one. Everything was regimented----- everything lined up, books censored, teachers repressed. A nightmare.

With seating a non issue in elementary school, focus was on the topic at hand.

wildcat fan · ‎03-23-2010

This is a big trend around here. A couple of years ago, I read an article by someone encouraging us to "Starbucks" our classroom. I've seen several grant proposals where teachers have asked for help with funding alternative seating.

I work in a middle school and last week I stopped by my new department head's classroom. It had about 4 student desks, big sofas, love seats, bean bags, and big chairs like you might see in a den. She also has lots of lamps and said she doesn't use the overhead lights. Hanging Christmas lights around the ceiling and board is also a big trend here for year round classroom decorating.

I have two tall tables with bar stools for the back of the room, and I have a rug for the reading nook if someone wants to sit on the floor. I also have enough student desks for everyone. I change up the desk arrangements quite a bit; sometimes they're in rows and sometimes groups.

If I did the alternative seating, I would have to get matching/color coordinated items or it would drive me crazy! The furniture in my department head's classroom looks like a hodgepodge of stuff from Goodwill. I've seen other classrooms that were done the same. I'd rather have a classroom of matching desks than have it looking like a flea market. When I went to meetings in those classrooms, I chose to sit in a student's desk than sit on one of those dirty pieces of furniture. The students really liked the big comfy furniture, though.

RainCityWoman · ‎06-16-2015

@jaxs mom wrote:
I think it's funny that so many people are insecure with any change from what they knew growing up that they turn it into the default of acceptable and "normal".

And some of us base our beliefs on actual experience. Do not confuse pragmatism with insecurity. There is no ONE formula for what works in a classroom, and for most of us educators, the activity or the learning situation dictates room configuration. None of the things presented here are new, unusual, or particularly innovative and ground shaking. Sometimes the subject determines the classroom set up. If you're in a chem lab, you probably want a different set up for conducting experiments with sulfuric acid than you do for composition, or cooperative learning groups, or literary discussion, vocabulary development and grammar.