In previous school years in Shelly Burkard’s fourth-grade classroom at Hawthorne Elementary School, she had her desks set up in traditional rows and everyone had the same seating options. This year, however, through a Freeborn Mower Cooperative Operation Round Up grant, students have different options as they learn in their classroom, according to a press release.

Students are able to learn from bean bag chairs, exercise balls, working on the floor or a standing desk.  There are some students who choose the traditional desk/chair option, as that works best for their learning, but the majority of students seem to gravitate to the flexible seating options.

Why should classrooms start thinking about flexible seating options for students?

First, student choice. When students feel empowered with some degree of choice and control over their environment, they now have to use higher-order thinking skills, and in a fast-paced, ever-changing world full of choices, the sooner students are allowed to make positive choices for themselves, the sooner they can problem-solve on their own. 

Second, a sense of community. Traditional seating options can make students territorial or possessive over their spaces, but flexible seating encourages students to share both. 

Finally, flexible seating has a direct impact on student achievement. From a 2012 University of Minnesota study, 48 percent of students using flexible seating participated more in classroom discussions, which increased their performance on standardized tests and other assessments. 

Burkhard has noticed her students more on-task, collaborating with each other and having fun with their learning, according to the release.