Do you have an assigned seat in class? In a growing number of classrooms, kids get to choose where they sit and what they sit on. Take the fourth- and fifth-graders in Colleen Metzler’s class at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vermont. They can choose a regular chair at a desk, a rolling chair, or even an exercise ball. This is called flexible seating.
Some teachers say letting kids sit on a giant beanbag or a wobble stool breaks up the daily routine. They say flexible seating also makes learning more enjoyable, which helps students focus.
“I don’t sit still in a chair when I teach,” says Metzler. “So I can’t expect my students to sit totally still.”
But opponents of flexible seating argue that kids need structure in order to concentrate. Some teachers say sitting next to friends—or on bouncy exercise balls—can cause too many distractions.