I took the plunge (it was to a greater extent than similar a graceful belly flop) final twelvemonth as well as blogged almost some things I realized both here as well as here. However, today I'm sharing some answers to the "But what about" questions that concord people dorsum from trying it. If yous are someone yet on the fence, accept a read to consider if this tin sack repose your mind!
But what almost the desks? Do I acquire rid of all of them?
I originally wanted all my desks out of my room but due to article of furniture options inwards my school, I didn't possess got access to the tables I wanted. However, I recall I loved it fifty-fifty to a greater extent than having a mixture of tabular array exceed options. Remember, flexible seating shouldn't hateful that everyone is at nowadays sitting at a tabular array alongside a yoga ball... because that is non what all students prefer. It's almost having options. So I kept almost sixteen desks. I had i pupil who was on the spectrum as well as she was allowed to remain inwards that spot the whole twelvemonth as well as fifty-fifty role the within of her desk because that is what worked best for her. The other desks though stayed shut to students. Here are some perks for keeping desks:
You tin sack role them for storage.
We possess got scientific discipline groups, hence each scientific discipline grouping kept all their materials within i of the desks. When it was scientific discipline time, the getter would acquire as well as acquire the materials out of the desk as well as render them at the end. It didn't accept upwards other valuable countertops. Also, I hold copies of majority fellowship books organized inwards the desks, fine art projects, etc. There's a lot yous tin sack exercise alongside them!
You tin sack exercise dissimilar sized groups.
I had 2 groups of 5, i grouping of iv as well as 1 grouping of 2. Some students preferred non to sit down adjacent to a lot of other people, hence they preferred the spot alongside 2 desks. I could easily describe desks out of groups likewise (or my students for that affair if they wanted an "island").So if it were me... I'd state no, don't acquire rid of all the desks. They tin sack hold upwards a bully property as well as operate best for some students.
But what almost money? How exercise people afford all those "options?"
I'm alongside yous on this one. It tin sack hold upwards really piece of cake to consider the beautiful classroom spaces on Instagram as well as recall yous bespeak to possess got fancy seats as well as tabular array spots. And yes, it would hold upwards wonderful to have! But attempt to repose into buying dissimilar options. Again, yous don't know what volition operate best for yous as well as your students until yous boundary in. So spending a bunch of coin on things that mightiness non acquire much role volition travel out a negative demeanour on on the experience (and your wallet). You are looking for dissimilar options to offering your students as well as they don't all possess got to cost a lot of money. I got a 2 wobble stools which were a piddling pricey but I solely got 2 to start. I got 2 depression flooring seats, iv yoga balls, 2 reclining chairs, as well as some of the IKEA stools. I also kept lots of normal chairs inwards stacks around the room because honestly, a lot of students prefer those depending on the chore they are doing (reading vs writing vs math). I also had some flooring pillows already as well as a edible bean pocketbook which was a pop spot. I'd dear to add together some taller Hokki stools, but they are expensive, hence we'll consider inwards time. Also, I human face at garage sales all summertime long to consider if I tin sack discovery anything to snag for the classroom. Last year, I found a toy box on the side of the route for costless inwards bully status (see right). It became i of my students' favorite spots alongside some inexpensive cushions from Walmart as well as IKEA (that tin sack also hold upwards taken on the flooring if kids want). Not to mention, I had storage for extra homebases inwards instance I got to a greater extent than students during the schoolhouse year. The accept away- pick a few options to start as well as piece of cake add together to a greater extent than equally yous go. But what almost all their stuff? Where exercise yous hold it all?
I recall it's of import to state that I yet combat alongside this one. And yous may too. I wrote a weblog postal service that shared this. There was a fourth dimension early (like calendar week 2) of doing flexible seating final twelvemonth that I idea I made a huge fault as well as perchance I should abandon it all. But I had already invested money, fourth dimension as well as attempt into it, non to elevate working alongside my students on establishing rules, routines, expectations, etc. So I said I would ambit it at to the lowest degree until wintertime break. But what was making me possess got doubts was storing all their stuff. The commutation is to spread it out hence that yous avoid traffic jams. But they possess got a lot of stuff: folders, notebooks, planners, writing tools, library books... So here's some of my solution.
Create a "homebase" system.
I actually loved these drawers from Target as well as I loathe to study they discontinued them for 2017. Which I'm mourning because my shape size is increasing as well as I bespeak at to the lowest degree 2 more. So I'll hold upwards occupation solving myself. But that reminds me of a expert point: hold upwards flexible yourself. You're kickoff solution to a occupation may non operate as well as it's ok to attempt something else. Anyways, dorsum to my point.
I used the drawers for reading. They kept their reading notebook inwards at that spot along alongside 2-3 library books as well as their personal whiteboards. That's it. On top, they had a loving cup for extra pencils, their editing pens, highlighters, expo markets, etc. If they always needed a novel pencil, they checked their homebase first. We also kept their pair of scissors here, a minor stapler, a pencil sharpener as well as erasers. Students also left their H2O bottles hither at times too. They worked bully because I spread them around the room as well as solely three kids would hold upwards at i homebase.
Use bins either on countertops, shelves, or inwards cupboards
So what almost their other stuff? I used the IKEA boxes at the homebases likewise that kept their writing as well as math notebooks. However, IKEA changed the size hence folders didn't fit. This drove me bonkers as well as it's what forced me to invest inwards larger boxes this twelvemonth (which I'll part almost over on my weblog closer to the schoolhouse twelvemonth starting). Folders nosotros kept inwards our "book bags" which I had from IKEA from my kickoff twelvemonth of teaching- as well as non i has busted on me yet. Students kept their nightly folder, their planner, journal, as well as other folders inwards there. It wasn't perfect, but it got us through the year. Students hung their bags on their chair if they had a normal chair or hung them on hooks on the curtain. Since I invention on doing flexible seating over again adjacent year, I'm allowing myself to pass some to a greater extent than coin on adjusting some things alongside cloth storage. But DON'T experience the bespeak to exercise it your kickoff acquire around. Ask your students for solutions since it impacts them directly!But what almost Meet the Teacher Night? How exercise I laid upwards as well as inform parents?
This i I hadn't idea almost until a few weeks before. At our school, nosotros invite students to come upwards come across their instructor the calendar week earlier schoolhouse starts. I started to panic equally I didn't know how to properly "roll" it out. Especially to parents. Here's a few tips that may help:
Put pupil names on post-its for the night.
You could exercise this a few ways. You could lay them out randomly at a spot hence when they came in, they felt similar they had a "space" for them. When I've done it this way, I allow them know that these volition non hold upwards their permanent spots- merely a spot to claim for the kickoff day. This year, I'm going to exercise it a scrap differently. I'll possess got their names on a post-it on the board. When they come upwards inwards at opened upwards house, they tin sack pick the spot they'd similar for the kickoff day. This volition assist avoid a slightly uncomfortable termination that happened final twelvemonth at opened upwards menage where a raise was NOT happy that their tike was non at a traditional desk. I tin sack honour their opinion, but I believe that students, alongside guidance, tin sack brand the best choices for themselves. Which is why I also travel out a spot on the post-it for students to tell me what cry they'd similar to acquire by. Sometimes they possess got a nickname (Sam for Samantha) as well as their parents desire to telephone phone them i way, but they'd prefer another. I personally volition role the cry my pupil wants me to role as well as allow them to phonation that at opened upwards house, hence this post-it tin sack assist alongside that. Have a alphabetic quality explaining it to students as well as families.
You don't possess got to acquire super specific, but allow them know why the room looks the agency it does as well as how it may human face over the year. Once the twelvemonth got rolling, I explained to a greater extent than inwards our newsletter as well as had students sign a contract as well as possess got their parents sign it likewise that went over the expectations inwards shape nosotros discussed.
Have a render drib off plan.
I had piddling signs that told them what to travel out at their tabular array spot (and how) as well as what to lay inwards our communal bins. I did possess got 2 that opened the desk as well as lay stuff in, but nosotros fixed that on the kickoff solar daytime of school. I merely had them stack their notebooks as well as folders as well as and hence on the kickoff solar daytime of school, nosotros lay them inwards their novel homes around the room. Having materials scattered around the room (but inwards an organized way) meant no i always "lost" thing materials, materials didn't acquire damaged, as well as nosotros used our transition fourth dimension equally a "social" transition fourth dimension to allow them interact socially a scrap piece they lay their things away as well as acquire ready for our adjacent lesson. I found giving them that 3-5 minutes to hold upwards social at a transition betwixt lessons (I'm talking betwixt math as well as writing as well as reading) had them prepared as well as focused for the adjacent one.
Don't experience the bespeak to laid out all the "goods" yet.
Because nosotros haven't gone over expectations yet on how to role all these options, I don't possess got them all available at opened upwards menage night. I lay the yoga balls inwards my shape bath out of sight hence they don't fifty-fifty consider them until later nosotros model how to role them... same alongside the wobble stools. Most of the chair options at opened upwards menage are merely stools or normal chairs. In my explanation letter, it discusses that other options volition hold upwards introduced during the kickoff week.
Honestly, I've actually loved making the switch equally it has challenged me inwards many ways. You possess got to possess got rigid administration skills, high as well as clear expectations for your students, as well as some flexibility yourself inwards monastic tell for it to hold upwards successful. My best advice is to remove heed to your gut as well as involve your students, equally it demeanour on their learning as well as experience at schoolhouse as well as that should hold upwards your exceed priority.
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