By Amy Wencl, Neveln Elementary First Grade Teacher

Spring has sprung! This time of year is one of my favorites in the classroom. First graders show such growth and maturity at this point. It is so fun to watch! Spring fever hits this time of year also. Sometimes, a change of pace is in order. I could tell this group of first graders was ready for a change, and I was excited to try something new as well.

Prior to spring break, Principal Dewey Schara asked me how I liked the tables that replaced my traditional student desks a few years back. I responded that I love my tables. I feel it has helped create a sense of community and has allowed for more collaboration among my students. I was, however, still using traditional chairs and a framework of a seating chart.

After having a conversation with him and doing some research, we made the decision that when the students walked back into our classroom after spring break, they would see a big change! During the break, our wonderful custodians took the legs off the classroom tables and moved the student chairs into storage. We had taken the first step to create a flexible seating plan in the classroom! Flexible seating is a theory of classroom space centered around student choice and comfort. The goal is greater student engagement and motivation. You know, like how you feel more motivated to work out once you get to the gym! Same idea here, once a student finds a space or way they are comfortable being, they will be more willing and eager to engage.

So, what would you see if you were to walk into our classroom? You would see tables standing about a foot tall — just tall enough for students to sit or kneel on the carpet and have access to the tabletop. You would see students using ball chairs, cube chairs, stools or benches. Some students would be using clipboards to enable writing work while sitting on the floor.

This flexible plan allows students to choose throughout the day how they want to work. The students are doing a great job learning about and adjusting to what type of space works best for them.

We have been using this new classroom space for two weeks. We are learning and adjusting as we go. We have even found unexpected benefits to our new arrangement: the noise level in our room is much quieter as there is no chair commotion, students can move more freely throughout the classroom, the room feels much more spacious, there is less mess as students are closer to their work space, and students generally seem more comfortable!

We are currently working on adding more seating options like raised/standing tables, seating pads, and other types of chairs to expand the students’ options. I am so impressed with how the students have taken to our new classroom and how they are discovering the type of space in which they work best.

Spring is a time for new beginnings and a refreshed sense of being! What will you do this spring to make a change?