TAKING THE PLUNGE
When fourth grade teacher Michelle Moore visits places like coffee shops , restaurants , and modern workspaces , she chooses her seat based on the task at hand .
A meeting might require a round table . A last-minute deadline might call for a quiet corner . A good book might pair well with a comfy couch near a sunny window .
“ It makes sense that if something isn ’ t working for me , I can move ,” Moore says . “ So if I apply that to my own life , why aren ’ t we applying that to our students ’ lives ?”
Earlier this year , she decided to go all in . Over a three-day weekend , Moore overhauled her room at Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School , rearranging it with tables , stools , carpets , and desks . She wrote a parent and student contract outlining rules for selecting and moving between seats . Then she waited for the feedback to pour in .
The students loved it . The parents encouraged it . The school supported it . What started as a weekend experiment blossomed into a schoolwide pilot program led by Moore and fellow fourth grade teacher , Stephanie Cox .
Moore and Cox found that flexible seating offered more than mere comfort and Facebook-friendly photo opps . Their classes became more focused and productive . And students were empowered by their ability to choose , engaging with assignments in a new way — and learning about themselves in the process .
THE STATS ON SEATING
Take a look at most classrooms today , and they ’ re already strikingly different from the spaces parents and teachers might remember from their own childhoods .
“ Some classes are set up in a U shape , and some are set up in groups of four ,” says OLM Director of Advancement , Julie Bebey . “ But none of the classrooms are set up with just traditional rows of desks .”
The key , Moore says , is engagement . Students stuck in desks all day just don ’ t get work done . Even before flexible seating , it was common for OLM students to gather in a hallway for a project , or to sit on a rug to read .
Flexible seating simply takes that freedom a bit further , introducing options like stability balls , wobble stools , and standing desks to improve student focus . And the research seems to back it up .
Moore pored over countless articles , blogs , and studies before rearranging her room . She sought hard data that supported the success stories she found online .
“ It ’ s not as though we ’ re doing this on a whim ,” she says . “ When I set up my contract , I gave parents some of the research behind it , and the ‘ why .’ It was always , ‘ Why am I doing this for your children , and how is this going to benefit them ?’”
7