Intermediate classroom teachers face many challenges. Fifth graders are at a pivotal time in their educational careers; they are transitioning out of early education and into the middle school years. A fifth-grade teacher with 28 students in the classroom strived to improve the learning experiences in her classroom. Her aim was to provide students with new and intriguing experiences that presented information in more engaging ways. This not only leads to higher engagement among students, but also increases information retention by creating more memorable learning experiences.As a result, the teacher often had multiple lessons and activities happening at once. One of the challenges she faced was appropriate seating arrangements that allowed students to learn comfortably while enabling multiple lesson formats. Some of the types of searing options she tried including:
- Stadium seating. The teacher arranged desks in angled rows, hoping to alter the perspective for each lesson and keep the children focused. This didn’t work out as she felt that some of her students were simply too far away during each lesson.
- Modified horseshoe. Next, the teacher arranged the desks in a horseshoe shape. While this saved space and allowed the teacher a wide teaching space in the middle of the students, she found that the opposite-facing desks created distractions.
- Group seating. The solution came with group or team seating, with groups of desks joined together to form multiple islands throughout the classroom. This worked the best, and the teacher decided to take it a step further.
The teacher ordered Children’s Crazy Carpet Circle Seats to provide alternative seating options for different activities throughout the school day. She found that this created the most comfortable stations throughout the classroom, allowing her to maintain her differentiated teaching style and providing each student with equal attention and access to lesson material without creating distractions. Unique teaching styles can provide students with more memorable and engaging learning experiences, and the right seating can empower and motivate students by providing them with comfortable spaces during each school day.
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