There are a TON of images and ideas out there for flexible classroom seating. In this post, I'll focus only on flexible seating for high school classrooms.
While I'm not in the classroom anymore, I still enjoy thinking about classroom design based on brain research and the infusion of technology in the classroom.
See the end of this post for what flexible seating IS and what it is NOT, by Betsy Lancy.
Here are the nine awesome classrooms, in no particular order... Get inspired!
Thinking of trying flexible seating in your high school classroom?
Put these items on your wish list or list of garage sale look-fors:
(The links below are affiliate links. If you purchase from a link, I make a small income to support this blog.)
- Standing Desk (This is the one I use, and several teachers in our school put it in their classrooms)
- Bean bags
- Exercise balls
- Gaming chairs
- Bar stools
- Yoga Mats
- Whiteboard / Dry Erase paint
- Bookshelves
- Sofas/Chairs
- Lap Desks
- Clipboards
What is flexible seating in a classroom?
A flexible seating environment is NOT:
Instead, flexible seating environments:
- A special chair designated as a treat or reward
- A reading corner with a few bean bags
- Replacing all the chairs in the classroom with a class set of yoga balls
- The same thing as “personalized learning”
- A new fad — Montessori schools have been using these concepts for years
- Provide all students with choices about to sit (or stand)
- Can be reconfigured quickly and easily
- Involve a wide variety of seating types
- Uses the physical environment of the classroom to improve learning
- Are grounded in research about classroom design
Have you tried or are you thinking of trying flexible seating in your classroom? Share you thoughts in the comments below or connect with me on twitter.
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So with limited resources (the chairs we had), I offered my class to rearrange the room anyway they so choose. They could have the option of sitting on the floor, standing, sitting at a chair, sitting together, or alone or in any combination. After brainstorming for a class period, they choose to stay in the formation they were originally (small groups sitting with desks). Their choice, not mine. However, I don't have seat options available. We only have hard desk chairs available. If I find some good options, at a reasonable price, I will pick them up.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for working with what you have and asking students to create their space to fit their needs! I hope you were inspired by some of the things in this post!
DeleteJennifer
I called all the local universities and colleges to see with what they do with their surplus items.. I was able to get conference tables, full office desks, office chairs. They also change out their couches regulary though, just didn't need them. (I teach business so I was looking for a business feel) Also, got some stuff under craigslist free ads.
DeleteThank you so much for including me in this post! I love seeing flexible seating implemented successfully at the secondary level. These are some great examples!
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for your great and thoughtful post on flexible seating - what is IS and, maybe more importantly, what it is NOT. These are some terrific examples that inspire me each time I look at the photos. :-)
DeleteBest,
Jennifer
It looks really nice, but I don’t understand how it would function in practice? Laptops, writing essays by hand, taking notes? It would be brilliant for reading, discussion, sharing, watching media and research. My mind is stuck in the classrooms I have seen all my life (and loved as a student) give me a new perspective. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLaptops are easy to use without a desk, and lapdesks come in handy for 1:1 schools. Clipboards are convenient and some students like using them. I myself prefer to sit straight up (not slouched) with a flat surface (like a table), but I know my daughters and students prefer something else. I think it's about having choices for different students. Thanks for reading and commenting!
DeleteJennifer
Thank you for including me!!! I am so excited! And I got a ton of ideas from the other ones you posted! Pinterest can only take us so far! Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI love your room, Brit, and I bet your students do, too. I can't wait to follow your journey and read at the end of the school year what your kids (and you) thought of the new seating!
DeleteBest,
Jennifer
These images really helped me, thank you! I am at the beginning stages of planning how flexible seating can work in my classroom. I teach 6 classes of history every day, so I need the furniture to be functional and durable, but lightweight for movement. I also have to have up to 34 spaces available, so I'm having a hard time trying to envision how I can have enough seating for everyone in my limited space. Are the couches workable? I do worry about kids sitting that close to each other, but really like the look of rooms with couches. I've had a recent donation of three Big Joe bean bags, so they are my first step to flexible seating. I'm excited, but still trying to keep the terror from outweighing the excitement. Thank you helping me to visually see how it might be done.
ReplyDeleteI would totally want to try these in my classes but our school is government-financed and ironically it is not well-financed. I just can't get those various chairs using my own money. :( I will still try to do this at least little by little in my own means
ReplyDeleteThanks for including me! I love seeing others’ classrooms as well since I am always look for new ideas and constantly changing my classroom!
ReplyDeleteDo you find that students treat this furniture with more "respect"? I have tables and chairs in my room and I'm always finding gum and other things stuck under the table, writing on the tables, you get the idea. I know I would be really heartbroken if I invested my time and money to do this and items were ruined.
ReplyDeleteI teach high school science (Chemistry and Physics) and I have a designated lab area that is in the back of the classroom. In the front of the classroom are traditional desks and chairs (although the desks seat 2 people and can flip and move because they are on rollers). I love the look, but I'm unsure about how to create a flexible setting in the front of the room.
ReplyDeleteHey! I would LOVE to see someone's information on how to introduce this to your students. I want so much to try this in my high school Spanish classes, but I just can't make the jump. Any suggestions/help would be GREATLY appreciated!
ReplyDeleteLook on Teachers Pay Teachers and Pinterest. Plenty of "rules" for using flex seating.
DeleteI am an OT and am looking for flexible seating options for one of my students but it needs to have a high weight limit (more than 300 lbs). Any ideas you might have for this would be welcomed!
ReplyDeleteI am an OT and am looking for flexible seating options for a student on my caseload. But it would need to have a high weight limit (at least 300 lbs). Any ideas anyone has would be welcomed.
ReplyDeleteAny suggestions for how to do flexible seating with 35+ students? I love all these ideas but the pictures don’t seem to show very many students in the classes. How can I make this work for a large group?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the ideas. I'm setting up my classroom next week And I am braving flexible seating this year, too. Always looking for a great first day of school activity. Happy back to school.
ReplyDeleteI am the principal of an alternative high school. Next year I would like to turn what used to be the library into a success center where student may go to deregulate.I would like some ideas
ReplyDeleteI teach 3 very different classes in middle school. I am lucky to have a HUGE classroom (no windows :-(). For STEM, we use outlets constantly, so perimeter of room is fairly standard. In World Geo and Gifted, I have a decent amount of flexible seating options. I would love more ideas for the interior of my room. My students favorite chair is probably the Kore wobble stool, but they are expensive, so I only have 3. I have a "YES" cabinet that students have access to. There are clipboards, paper, pencils, anything they need in there. I just want a few more options....any help appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try flexible classroom seating this school year with my dual enroll high students. I am a little nervous because I’m so use to desk and chairs. I have great furniture donated. Do anyone have suggestions on how to incorporate lab space in the design?
ReplyDeleteIncorporating lab space can get tricky, but I think the key is to have options and incorporate processes so that students don't feel like they are "stuck" in a certain spot for the year. Standing desks are a great option. Can the lab space be used as "desks" during class? Kudos for getting donated furniture! Once you get the big pieces in, maybe you can supplement with thrifted and donated items as needed. Good luck, and keep us posted!
DeleteBest,
Jennifer
I currently have Flex seating in my English 1-3 classroom. Couches, tall tables, tables and some desks with casters.
ReplyDeleteI know English lends to this type of seating, but would bet anyone could make this work for all classes-just depends on what you teach and your instructional plan.
Yes! This is so true. Students love standing desks, too. Having a choice is what's important. Cheers!
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