A year ago, I wrote a post about how I had modified my 3rd-grade classroom to allow for flexible seating and student autonomy. My goal was to get rid of limitations and teacher rules that were, in my opinion, not beneficial for most students. I have come to understand that for children to learn about respect and responsibility, they need to receive opportunities to practice such values.
I read a lot about it before jumping in, but for the most part, I set out to listen to my students and take note of what they needed. For the few months we had this setup, it was a success. Students raved about it, parents praised it, and I had a few colleagues stop by with questions. Then, the pandemic came, and with it, the temporary hold on that sort of classroom environment. When we started the new school year in the fall, desks were back, and all comfy items were out. We did what we had to do.
For a while, I thought it’d be impossible to go back to a flexible seating arrangement with the current rules on social distancing. Those thoughts only lasted for a few weeks because I saw how resilient children could be in new environments; even without group tables, students collaborated. I played with some ideas while I was in the classroom but didn’t have much time to try anything because my temporary job changed. That said, I don’t know what flexible seating could look like these days, so I can’t write about it. What I can write about are the principles I followed last year that could be transferred to this current situation.
I’ll use some of my colleagues’ questions to categorize the information in this post. Again, I’ll write to what worked for me pre-Covid; I’d love to hear ideas on how to manage such accommodations now.
Students Belongings
My favorite part of the transformation was to take out the majority of desks. For the first months of school, I saw almost all students struggling to keep things organized efficiently, even after trying different strategies. They just have so much stuff!
We decided to have individual baskets to keep their daily supplies, books, whiteboards, and other essentials. They had many subject-specific notebooks that went to subject-specific areas. Writing notebooks and folders, went to the writing center, reading notebooks and book bags to the reading center, etc. Having materials spread out that way made it easier for students to gather what they needed before mini-lessons diligently.
We used to share pens and other supplies, so I made sure there were always plenty of extras at the writing center, as well as in the middle of all tables. For social distancing purposes, I’d probably ask each student to have their pencil case and provide extras as needed.
The management of these areas was the responsibility of the whole class. We made it part of our agreements and decided what each area should look like; they even asked me to post pictures, so they had a guide to follow 😀
In the past, I had helpers because I thought it was the most efficient way to keep areas neat; what I learned was that by having one or two students in charge, the others didn’t necessarily feel the need also to act responsibly. My experience post-classroom jobs has been beyond positive for all students. This also goes to other jobs, like “line leader,” but that’s for another post.
Subject Areas and Organization
When I started organizing the room, I began by identifying where my large gathering area would be. The way I saw it, that would be the focus of the classroom, the place where we meet. The main gathering area was facing the whiteboard, smartboard, calendar, and daily schedule. We had several seating options when we met, on the rug, chairs around the rug, and bean bags. Partners had to agree on one; having one partner on the floor and another on a chair was not helpful. They all knew this, so they’d decide before the meeting.
The subject-specific areas were in separate areas of the room with enough wall/window space for charts. It always depends on the kind of room you’re working with; my suggestion is to keep them as far apart as possible to anchor the subject to that corner of the room. When I did mid-workshop interruptions for reading, I stood in the reading area, when I paused a math activity to ask questions, I stood in the math area. That way, students were more inclined to look for concepts, definitions, or strategies on charts.
There were seating options in each area but were not specific to that subject. We had tall tables with optional stools, round tables, and individual areas for those who wanted peace and quiet to solve a math problem. The library was also a center point in the classroom; we had a soft and fluffy rug and a couch with other bean bags. The organization of the library was on all students; they designed and created labels for the bins as well as a system to do a big sort of “lost and found” books at the end of the week.
Classroom Management: Trust and Accountability
This is a big topic. How do we teach students to choose the best seat for them? How do we help students solve problems when teachers stay out of “I got here first” discussions?
I started with trust. I told my students that I trusted they were ready for this new setup and knew they would learn how to make the best decisions for themselves and the group. I think students are not very used to being trusted this way. They are used to us making these decisions for them so the transition can be liberating.
Now, I won’t say that everything went smoothly for me because there were plenty of bumps along the way. I will say, however, none of those bumps made me regret the decision I made. They were making learning mistakes, and it was fantastic to watch.
This is how I went about it:
- Introduce the idea of flexible seating with a class meeting. We discussed what it meant, what we expected from it, the questions we had, and the ton of ideas that came up… “No, Ana, we can’t have swings in here.” I took note of what they all said, in the same way you would come up with your class agreements, they saw their ideas on paper, we agreed on expectations, and with that, we had our “rules.” They even decided on adding, “Teachers can move you at any time.” They read my mind 😉
- Start easy. Create a rotation where students try a different seat for a day and switch each day for about 10-15 days. I had a seating chart where I could keep track of where everyone was working; if I had to make a change, I’d move their name and make it easy for other classmates and co-teachers to know where everyone should be. Flexible still meant productive. After two weeks, we held another meeting to discuss the end of the “trial,” and from that point on, they could sit wherever they wanted.
- We did have to come up with a system for the couch. The couch was in high demand at first, but eventually, students realized they preferred other options and gave away their seat there. I also had a “meeting table,” which was mostly the teacher’s table. I didn’t usually sit there during class, so they also had the choice of sitting on Ms. Ana’s chair.
- Managing poor choices was ongoing. They didn’t happen as often as I thought they would. My point was always helping students understand the difference between comfort and effectiveness. The goal of our flexible setup was to be as productive as possible, not just have comfy bean bags to lounge on. Whenever I had to move a student, I did it quickly and quietly, always maintaining their dignity. “Ana, please move to x table.” Later, when pertinent, we would talk about why I had moved her and how to move forward with the day.
- Accountability is key. Most people think that flexible seating means no structure… let me tell you, my class had more structure and expectations that it did when we just had a bunch of desks. This, for me, was the biggest gain: the way the classroom design helped students practice respect and responsibility daily. We often brought up concerns, suggestions, or questions in-class meetings, and I made sure we always honored the agreements that were established at the beginning. No excuses.
Final Thoughts
I haven’t been in a classroom in a few months, and I don’t know when I’ll be in one again. What I do know is that even with Covid restrictions, the benefits of having this kind of environment for students is greater than the hesitations. I’m sure there’s a way to make it happen while keeping everyone safe. I also believe that this is just one more way to teach students about decision-making, self-regulation, and discipline in a way that makes sense to them. If you genuinely believe this is what’s best for your class, start tomorrow; don’t feel like you have to wait until the beginning of the year!
Start with a Story 