Flexible Seating: Options, Areas, and Implementation

(Long post alert) 

One week down! 

We have officially used flexible seating for one week now and I have to say, I'm quite impressed by how well students are following the expectations. I took a great deal of time researching how I wanted flexible seating to look and what would work best with my 5th graders. Using that research, I created a new classroom arrangement and our expectations. The following list will explain the various options students have for seating, the areas of our classroom, expectations, and how I implemented flexible seating. 

To start, it is important to mention that how I rolled out flexible seating was some what of a fluke. After my donorschoose.org  project was funded, the items I requested were shipped the same week. Each item was delivered to my school on a different day, which helped me decided how to start implementing flexible seating.  Because items were arriving on different days, I decided to embrace the idea of a gradual roll out. When something new arrived, I prepared it and students were free to use it that same day (or the next, depending on what time it arrived). This helped students explore the different options slowly and get an idea of what they were able to work with the best. Doing this allowed students to familiarize themselves with the options and gave me an opportunity to observe how each item was working before full implementation. 

It was interesting to see what students were drawn to, what students thought they would like and didn't, and what they discovered to be their favorite flexible seating option. After all items were in our room and being used during the day, I surveyed students to see what they were enjoying the most. This information helped me learn what items were in high demand and how I would create a morning attendance spot (more information to come). 

Okay...here we go. 

After our week of exploring the seating options, we started this past Monday in full flexible seating mode. I explained the expectations (which were read and on display the week prior) and how our day would look. 

Expectations

 I used some of the expectations from @luckylittlelearners and tweaked them to fit my 5th grade classroom. I made it clear that flexible seating does not mean you find your buddies and "hang out". Flexible seating meant that you are finding a place where you can work responsibly and appropriately. I was impressed that most students took that information seriously and really thought about where they would work best.

The other strong expectation was that I am able to move anyone at anytime, no questions asked.  I informed students that if I thought they were not in a successful learning spot, they would be asked to move. If that happened, they were to simply get up and find another place.  I have had to move a few students, but they were aware of why and did a great job of taking ownership of their actions and found a better place to work/learn.


Attendance Spots

In the morning, I have to take attendance, my students make their lunch choice, get breakfast and eat before we start our day. With this routine strongly in place, I didn't want to change it at all. What I decided to do was give students an attendance spot for our morning routine. Every day, they have a spot they go to to complete their morning activities. This spot was determined by the survey I gave out.

This is working extremely well. I am able to maintain our morning routine and start our day with consistency. I am also able to give work/mail out easily and check agendas quickly without having to buy/create some other method of giving students handouts. We then start flexible seating when students return from specials (Gym, Music, or Art) around 9:30.  They come in, put their take-home binders away and find a spot to work.

Seating Options/Areas
Tables and Chairs

I have two tables in my room that each have four chairs. There were a number of students in my classroom that still enjoyed working at a table in a chair. I knew that I still needed areas like this and offered students the use of a stability cushion to use with the chair.

*If you know me, you know that I love organization and coordination. The fact that flexible seating allowed me to remove some standard chairs from my room and keep all the chairs that matched...made me jump for joy (internally). These tables look neat and uniform with matching chairs, and to please me even more, match my classroom colors (blue and green). 

I like that one table is round and the other rectangle. Both allow for great collaboration but in different ways. When students are working on a project together they are drawn to the round table and when finding a place to discuss a math task or compare writing pieces in pairs, the rectangle table is the typical choice.

I previously mentioned stability cushions. We have 15 of them and they are kept in these two hampers. If students want a stability cushion, they take one from a hamper to use on the floor or on a chair. When they are finished, it's required that they return it so another student can use one.

Stools

At this table, students have the option to sit on a stool. These are quite popular and are always in use. I like the stools because they nearly eliminate all tipping while allowing students to sit comfortably. We have four stools in our room. I am in the process of making some bucket seats to add to these tables to give more stool-like seating.

You'll notice that this table has a desk. Two table areas of our room have them. I have students in my class that greatly benefit from using a desk to keep their materials instead of a bin and they have requested to keep their desk.  These desks have stools to ensure that students feel included in flexible seating in the morning and tend to stay at their desk for most of the day, even when they are able move to a spot of their choosing.








Exercise Balls

At the back of our room are exercise balls.  Students are able to use an exercise ball while working at a table. I chose to keep them at the back of the room to allow for more space (due to their size) and incase of any rolling, they would not interfere with another learning area.





I have been impressed with my 5th graders willingness to compromise and find Win-Win solutions when handling this seating option. It is popular and students are very good about giving others a chance to sit at them.




Comfy Chair Corner

This is a cozy choice for students. I have had these chairs all year and have a calendar sign up for each one. I decided that I would keep the sign up and give students the option of when they sit here. Month-by-month, students can select the day they want to sit in one of these chairs. The only difference from the beginning of the year is that previously, students could use the chairs during independent reading time. Now, they can sit in them all day.







Open Floor Space

Along with the front of our classroom, we have this open floor space where students can grab a stability cushion or a small pillow and lounge. Even though the use of this space depends on the kind of activity students are being asked to complete, I find a few students here daily. Some lay on their stomachs, some sit pretzel legged with their work spread all around them.









Low Tables and Floor Pillows

This is my favorite area of the room. The large pillows are so comfy and the work tables are at the perfect height for students to kneel or sit on a pillow and work. This space works for all kinds of activities and is the most popular among students.  I was a little surprised by the popularity the first day with one low table that I lowered a second. Good thing! All eight spots are always taken by students and they work incredibly well here.







If this week is any indication about how flexible seating will work in our classroom, we will have a great second semester choosing our most successful learning spots.  I'm looking forward to watching it progress and the quality of my student's work continue to improve.