Then, one evening in February, I came across an article on Twitter called "Why the 21st Century Classroom May Remind You of Starbucks". I clicked on it, purely because the title intrigued me. What I found was a column by Kayla Delzer, a teacher from North Dakota, that discussed how she brought flexible seating into her classroom and how it had transformed the learning environment. As I was reading, I thought, "I want to learn in that classroom," "This makes so much sense," and "I have to do this!" I was immediately hooked. Not only did I hope to help my current class, but I felt that this could completely change the culture in my classroom. I began to research flexible seating, and even followed Delzer on Twitter and Instagram (@topdogteaching) to get a closer look at how flexible seating worked day-to-day in her classroom.
Back in my own classroom, I was itching to get rid of my fairly traditional seating model. First, I needed to get some different seating materials. I decided to write a grant through a local program, explaining what I wanted to do and why I wanted to do it. I'm sure the items I was asking for were out-of-the-box in their eyes -- yoga mats, core stability discs, IKEA stools, etc. A month later, I learned the group focused on supporting many technology items, and my project was not going to be funded. Fortunately, when I submitted my grant, I gave a copy to my principal (complete with Delzer's article). After my grant request was denied, she spoke in my favor to our PTO and got them to fully fund my flexible seating classroom, seeing it more as an innovative idea instead of a crazy one!
We began using each seating option as soon as we received it, first discussing how to use it appropriately and how not to use it. We reviewed seating options that we had used in our classroom all year, including our couch, bean bags, and pillows.
- We decided what was fair and what wasn't when someone got out of their seat or left the room.
- We practiced having confrontations and solving conflict in a respectful way.
It wasn't long before my classroom became a completely different place to learn:
- Students were making decisions that impacted their learning everyday.
- They were figuring out how they could learn with their friends, as well as with whom they could not learn.
- They were consciously thinking about how they could discuss a problem while remaining respectful.
- Students consistently had to think "How would I feel?" in flexible seating conflicts.
After only a couple of months of using flexible seating in my classroom, I can confidently say that I will never go back to a traditional seating model. By giving up a little control and allowing choice, my students are empowered in our classroom. They are decision-makers and problem-solvers. My classroom is reflective of the real world, and students are figuring out how to successfully function in that environment.
Through this process, I have become passionate about flexible seating and helping educators implement this model into their own classrooms. The beautiful (and frustrating) thing about flexible seating is that every classroom and situation is unique. There are many possible issues that you could encounter when trying to begin flexible seating. But I am telling you (shouting as loud as I can) that it is worth it! The problem-solving process is certainly one of those things that makes you, your redesign, and your students even stronger. My journey looks different even from others' in my district, but I am hoping my experience and mentality can help others to problem-solve and successfully employ flexible seating. I am sure this is the first of many blog entries about this topic. Therefore, I want to know, what are your questions, concerns, frustrations, and obstacles when it comes to flexible seating? Comment below, and stay tuned for more ideas and resources! I could write a post as long as a book on flexible seating, but I won't do that to you! Looks like this may develop into a series instead. :)