FLEXIBLE SEATING with COVID 19
Are you ready to let go? It's may be time to free yourself and your kiddos of those cumbersome desks and chairs. There are so many new exciting seating and working spaces available for todays twenty-first century learners you won't have trouble choosing. Some ideas are on Ikea hack web-sites, Pinterest, or you can DIY by just shopping at garage sales.
I changed the look of my class to round tables and stools a little at a time by getting donations using Donor's Choose and help from my Room Parents.
At first I must admit it was difficult for me to get rid of those perfectly lined in rows desks and chairs. After all I had been using them for the last seven years. The desks certainly had some pros. First of all they stored all of the books and supplies the children had. Then I started to really think about the desks. Maybe the desks stored too much? I often had to rummage through the desks myself to find lost or missing work that was too often found itself crumpled in the back in a deep dark canyon of the desk. Also, there was the secrets of the desk like the little paper notes that seemed to find there way in the corners rolled up into balls or folded in cute triangles and squares with decorations. Not to mention, the sticky substances I would find from the remains of food that somehow found its way back into the classroom and in the desk after lunch and snack time was over. No, my mind was made up it was time for these stand up relics that once served their purpose in a classroom to go. I had other ideas for my learners now. I wanted my class to become ready to communicate, collaborate, create, and connect together on projects every day. I had a vision to make my class look and feel as much as possible as a Google work place.
It was a challenge at first to find a spot to put all the books. However, I found we could eliminate some of the supplies we used to think were so important. We were doing more and more project based learning now and able to work in groups and share supplies and even books. Instead of needing more we often needed less since we were recording with post-its, and working on the computers, iPads, and on white boards.
It has been a great transition and my class enjoyed the year tremendously. It was a little Freaky for me at first. Any change is hard but you won't know if you like it till you give it a try. I recommend trying a few desks at a time and going slow. Don't try to change your whole room at once. If you transition a group at a time it really works well and you will see how all the other children can't wait for their new flexible seating to come.However, now with
Social Distancing coming into our society so suddenly I am
wondering how will Flexible Seating fit in? I started to think , Am I going to have to get desks for every one? I really don't want to turn the clock back and give up the new updated look of my class. I feel that we have come such a long way and made great progress in learning with our new environment. On the flip side my first thing is to make all the children safe. So the one solution I came up with is making sure there are less kiddos sharing a table. After all we have other places in the room to work. We can use clip boards and sit on the carpet, little stools, in our tee-pee, and on benches, I have to be flexible and remember what flexible seating stands for. Next , I can make sure everyone washes their hands with soap and water several times a day, provide tissues, and keep our tables clean with antibacterial Wipes. So, the bottom line is I don't think the kiddos will be any closer on the tables than they would with the desks. The main thing is to follow some important safety and health rules to keep everyone safe.
At first I must admit it was difficult for me to get rid of those perfectly lined in rows desks and chairs. After all I had been using them for the last seven years. The desks certainly had some pros. First of all they stored all of the books and supplies the children had. Then I started to really think about the desks. Maybe the desks stored too much? I often had to rummage through the desks myself to find lost or missing work that was too often found itself crumpled in the back in a deep dark canyon of the desk. Also, there was the secrets of the desk like the little paper notes that seemed to find there way in the corners rolled up into balls or folded in cute triangles and squares with decorations. Not to mention, the sticky substances I would find from the remains of food that somehow found its way back into the classroom and in the desk after lunch and snack time was over. No, my mind was made up it was time for these stand up relics that once served their purpose in a classroom to go. I had other ideas for my learners now. I wanted my class to become ready to communicate, collaborate, create, and connect together on projects every day. I had a vision to make my class look and feel as much as possible as a Google work place.Social Distancing coming into our society so suddenly I am
wondering how will Flexible Seating fit in? I started to think , Am I going to have to get desks for every one? I really don't want to turn the clock back and give up the new updated look of my class. I feel that we have come such a long way and made great progress in learning with our new environment. On the flip side my first thing is to make all the children safe. So the one solution I came up with is making sure there are less kiddos sharing a table. After all we have other places in the room to work. We can use clip boards and sit on the carpet, little stools, in our tee-pee, and on benches, I have to be flexible and remember what flexible seating stands for. Next , I can make sure everyone washes their hands with soap and water several times a day, provide tissues, and keep our tables clean with antibacterial Wipes. So, the bottom line is I don't think the kiddos will be any closer on the tables than they would with the desks. The main thing is to follow some important safety and health rules to keep everyone safe.
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