The struggle is real these days for teachers who are trying to find the balance between meeting many standardized test scores and instilling a love of learning in all of their students. It sometimes seems what students deem the "fun" stuff does not always get the results a teacher is hoping for. Finding a way to mesh the two is an ultimate goal in motivation and engagement.
Our journey to start to try and mesh the fun begins with innovative, flexible seating:
July 2015: Major classroom overhaul. I ditched the desks, hauled in tables of various styles and starting scrounging as many garage sales I could in order to make innovative seating a reality in my classroom. I had to use my imagination on how things would look and work when over 20 students entered the classroom, excited and ready for a new year.
August 2015: First Day of School. Everyone started with a name tag and an assigned spot around our room as a way to test out the new seating options. As we moved throughout the week, some students found different types of seating were not for them and claimed one of the 3 desks I kept and others began to embrace the seating as a new way of learning. It was quite a transition when the students realized they could choose their own seating and didn't have to stay there the entire day. Fast forward 2 weeks, and they became pros. Some choosing the same spot in the morning, and some moving throughout the day depending on the subject area.
January 2016: They have become pros that need more. We started the transition of making smart choices and being aware of our learning in different areas. You can listen to students tell friends they can't sit at the floor table during writing because they are not good workers in that place. You can see students choosing the same seating choice, such as a standing music stand, to use every time we do spelling because they know that is the best fit for that subject. Knowing themselves as learners has become a strong point in our classroom.
Now we have approached the more element. With help from the students, we came up with many things they feel would compliment what we already have in place. Hoping to add to our classroom, we are utilizing Donorschoose.org as a way to receive some of these items. We are looking to add floor cushions for more options to move around the room. We want to add core discs and Wobbly stools to add to our floor table and square table as a way to bring comfort and movement to our learning. We have requested two sitting chairs to place in our library as a sustainable choice, replacing the deflating bean bag chairs that are currently there. We also have asked for lap desks for a hard surface to use and 2 more iPads with cases to finish off our goal of being a 2:1 classroom. We are waiting patiently for our project to go live. The students are so excited to be able to add these things to our classroom.
Innovation at it's finest! We are well on our way of having a space kids want to be a part of, to grow as a learner, and have a passion for school.
