5 Reasons Flexible Seating Didn’t Work for Me

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  1. Natalie says:

    Love this! I am so reluctant to try flexible seating because I can see it going just like that in my classroom too. Way too much happening to manage! Thanks for sharing

  2. Tammy says:

    We’re always learning along with our students. I appreciate your candour about flexible seating.

  3. Danyette says:

    Thank you for writing this post! We have to remember to what works best in our classrooms. What works for one teacher make not work for another.

  4. Bablofil says:

    Thanks, great article.

  5. Rosie says:

    Thank you for being so honest Kayse. Sometimes we feel that “old school” is out of style , but it works. That doesn’t stop us from being open minded and trying new things. But we have to know ourselves and our students. I give you so much credit for all the effort you put forth in attempting this but I give you more credit for recognizing the cons and shutting it down in a timely manner. That makes you very aware. . . And a great teacher! And I’ve never seen you teach! Thanks for sharing and keep posting all your new ideas and their successes and not so much success.

  6. Erica C says:

    I absolutely love your door! I would love to know what fonts you used! ADORABLE!

  7. Sylvia says:

    As a parent, flexible seating didn’t work for my son and it took months of hearing “students pick their seats” for me to convince them that my 4th grader doesn’t always make the best decisions and needs to be in the front, away from distractions.

  8. Kelly says:

    I am so glad I found this post . I am considering flexible seating this school year and I teach in an urban high school and I’ve had a lot of difficulty finding any post about students and teachers in an environment similar to mine using it .

    It’s funny that you mention sleeping I have students who sleep in hard disk so I imagine if I bring couches in it may get worse .

  9. marie Patrick says:

    How can I get a copy of an ELA notebook. I this will be my first year doing an interactive notebook. I teach 6th grad ELA. I feel frazzled on where to begin. Do I just add to content page as I teach because I sure don’t know what I’m teaching everyday. I know some teachers fill theirs out on the summer. I’m so confus d. I can pay you for shipping me a good example. Do you do separate ones for literature, grammar, and writing? Thanks and live your videos. I’m getting ready to check out your TPT site.

  10. Katy says:

    Love this! I have tried flexible seating in my room with little success. I have a new system in place with diverse seating options that’s going well so far, but we will see how long it lasts. It’s so refreshing to read something from this perspective. These buzz words and fads like “flexible seating” become a real focus and it feels like it needs to succeed in every room. Not true. Thank you for sharing an honest review!

  11. Becky Pagulayan says:

    It’s all about balance, really. I have both types of seating in my classroom. Classrooms in Canada seem to be way smaller than American classrooms. Therefore, flexible seating options are limited. I opted for flip-top tables on wheels that can be moved around the room or put away quickly as needed. We do most of our work here. When students are finished, flexible seating is open for business. They can read or work on personal choice activities where ever they like. Also, I can choose to use the flexible seating when and if I want for different activities. So if everyone is working on a writing project, I might allow clip-boards and flexible seating for that activity. Math time? Back to the tables for instruction. Tests and quizzes? Also, back to the tables and our cardboard ‘private spaces’ go up. You can have the best of both worlds. My room doesn’t look like a showroom…it would never make it on Pinterest, but it works and I get to still feel like I have some control while my students get some choice.

  12. Belle Halicki says:

    Thank you for sharing this. I’ve struggled with the idea of flexible seating in my high school class. After reading this I realized your top 5 reasons for giving up flexible seating are the top 5 reasons I’m afraid to use it.

  13. Steph says:

    Thanks for your honesty and sharing this experience. I really appreciate your comment about giving students the best education! Students will not necessarily choose a seat that is best for them – they have to learn from adults what is best for their attention and function. I think flexible seating is great in principle but has been misinterpreted. I wish it was renamed “adjustable seating” because our students need seating that supports their attention, matches the task at hand, and gives them the support they need physically/ergonomically. I don’t think it is about adding couches and stools and milk crates – it is about having seating available that meets their physical and functional needs. (although couches are great for reading independently!) I think that seating that can be easily adjusted to meet different heights and seating that can be easily moved to accommodate individual or group work is great!

  14. […] my classroom, but then I saw these two blog posts from fellow education bloggers Kayse Morris from Teaching on Less and Jackie from Learning in Room 213. Finally, I knew I was not alone. As educators, we do not have […]

  15. SelkieMarm says:

    Thanks, thought provoking post! I’m considering doing tables for instruction/assessment and having my alternative seating be for independent work, but you make a valid point about sleeping! And I already knew leaping for the best chairs would be a struggle, haha…

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