I’m sure all you teachers out there can agree that nothing is worse than students who can’t sit still. This leads to unfocused, distracted students. Perhaps the best solution to this problem is to change the classroom instead of trying to change the students. The fix is actually quite simple… FLEXIBLE SEATING. If you’re a teacher that has never heard of this, I strongly suggest you look in to it. Putting flexible seating into words is difficult, so I’ve provided the picture to use as a reference while I am talking. The first step to implementing flexible seating in your classroom is to examine each of your students. Can all of your students not sit still, or are some of them content with sitting still? If you have students that work best while sitting at traditional table and chairs, keep those in your room while bringing in other options for the students who can’t handle that type of seating. As you can see in the picture, the teacher brought in many different seating substitutions. There are crates with cushions, a rocking chair, swivel stools, yoga balls, a futon, and so much more. By providing this many different options, the teacher can allow the students to sit where they think would be easiest for them to focus. The teacher can then watch her kids to see which students focus in which seating environment. From there she can decide where the students can and cannot sit. Flexible seating is also especially helpful in classrooms with special needs students. These students oftentimes have learning disabilities that prevent them from focusing due to things other than seating, but having the options may help them feel the most comfortable they can be. Though this is just a brief description of flexible, I highly recommend checking into it if you have students who can’t sit still. Open your eyes to all of the options and know that flexible seating doesn’t stop at just what you see in the picture!!
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