Flexible Seating is what you might hear of taking hold of the school and schools across the nation. The idea is to replace a traditional classroom seating chart and to allow students to sit where they choose according to Edutopia.org. Teachers are expanding upon this idea and providing different lighting options,food and drinks, and even couches. This concept has especially taken hold at Latrobe with six teachers already on board and bringing flexible seating to their rooms.

“It’s not just about comfy couches in the classroom the concept includes creating lessons that incorporate collaboration and teamwork,” Mrs. Leeper added.

Teachers implementing flexible seating in their classrooms have faced challenges with students and teachers.

“The first challenge was deciding what type of seating to choose and how to obtain it for my classroom,” Miss Fedor commented on challenges of making the switch.

Price was an issue for some teachers but Mrs. Leeper found a cost effective solution. “ I monitored Craigslist for months until I found the pieces I wanted to purchase, travel to Ikea, and negotiated some donated.”

According to Edutopia.org, there are some “ immediate benefits from flexible seating. They include burning more calories, using up excess energy, improving metabolism, increased motivation and engagement, creating a better oxygen flow to the brain, and improving core strength and overall posture.

Students  at Latrobe have really taken a liking to the new seating arrangements and have found it very helpful when trying to learn in a classroom. Senior, Riely Grabiak, had nothing but positive things to say about Mrs. Leeper’s room. “It’s so much more comfortable than it was before and I find it easier to learn and concentrate when I’m comfortable.”

As this trend takes off, more  teachers are working hard and aspiring to jump on board. Teachers around the school that haven’t already made the switch are doing research and bringing small pieces in their rooms to try and initiate the change.

Changing your room completely requires some inspiration to pull from and Mrs. Leeper gave us her source she used. “I was really inspired by Ms. Delzer’s presentation, especially a comment she made about why do people go to Starbucks to work? And what’s life outside like? Full of choices, where adults are responsible for their own learning.”

The new seating choices are proving to be effective in behavior especially. “Students are respectful to the furniture brought in and act more mature in class now,” Riely Grabiak commented. “It’s created a great atmosphere.”