Classrooms around campus typically share similar setups, with desks and chairs in rows or groups around the room. Paired with the occasional mandated seating chart, students face limited flexibility within their classrooms of where they work during the school day. Rooms such as the library and the Incubator classroom have various forms of seating, becoming prime locations for students to work on assignments.
The school board should provide funding for more flexible seating options inside of classrooms to accommodate students’ preferences for where they work.
Students having the ability to move stimulates their brains to engage and focus during class. Requiring students to sit in a strict seating arrangement for extended periods of time can lead to fatigue, discomfort, and a disinterest in learning. However, movement and variety increases the rate of oxygen flow to the brain, improving cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. Fidgety students often prefer the option of seating that allows for movement, such as the ability to stand at a desk and work comfortably, or a place to sit, like a yoga ball, to encourage energy regulation and lessen restlessness.
Students picking out their method of learning through their positions around the room can foster critical thinking about the best decisions for them, as well as control over how they learn. With flexibility of seating, students start taking notice of where they work best, capturing the power to self-regulate and have more self-awareness. For example, often students need quiet and comfortable workspaces in order to work most efficiently, and shifting will create the best environment for them, taking full charge over their learning spaces.
Collaboration within classrooms at the hands of seating arrangements will vary, with stricter seating plans tying down students to one area of the room, not allowing new bonds between students to form. Providing students with the ability to switch seats helps students find others with similar learning styles and goals as them. Multiple students may prefer to sit on the floor and work, utilizing various materials like lap desks for their method of working. Familiarization of classmates with similar needs can establish compatibility for future partners for projects or simply as resources to lean on during asynchronous classwork.
The cost of providing classrooms with various forms of seating presents as the strongest restriction against implementation of flexible seating. The comfortability and learning capabilities of students should hold a higher value than its current standing within the school board. Alternatives to raising money for flexible seating can take place annually and with the support from students, parents, and the school board.
To help reduce the costs of flexible seating, students should have the option to check in with their teachers to donate or bring in items that they see benefit their learning, such as lap desks, blankets, and other tools. Also, the school board can pick a department every year, like math classes, to receive a set amount of customizable seating options: standing desks, padded or mobile seating, etc., cutting down on the annual budget on flexible seating per year.
The school board should allocate funds toward providing students with multiple seating opportunities to promote ownership over their own learning as well as comfort within a class setting.
