Flexible Seating

Creating the 21st Century Classroom...

Chances are if you're reading this post, you have already heard about flexible seating and your curiosity has been piqued! Perhaps you're already trying it out and looking for some ideas the help it run smoothly in your classroom. Maybe you've never before heard of this progressive type of seating arrangement, and you want to know more? Successful teachers don't just expect their students to be lifelong learners, but they too stay current and on top of what's new in education. If you are enthusiastic to try something new in your class, you've come to the place! ​

You'll probably be happy to know flexible seating does not require any level of flexibility in the physical sense! It is not reflective of the traditional classroom seating layout, where children enter the room, make their way to an assigned seat and remain there until it's time to leave the room again. 

You're probably thinking, well my class don't do that! So chances are you have some flexible seating arrangement going on in your class already. The critical component of flexible seating is CHOICE because we know that one seat does not fit all in the classroom! The principle objective is to remove the length of time children spend in sedentary seating arrangement by incorporating plenty of movement breaks between your lessons. We now know that traditional seating arrangements, where children are seating on the same hard chairs at the same table, have a negative impact on well-being and learning. So, it's not surprising that more and more teachers are looking for ways to increase learning productivity by addressing this element of the third teacher, classroom learning environment!

Flexible seating isn’t just a current fad. I believe that it will eventually evolve into the way all classrooms look.

As a teacher, I am always looking for ways to be more innovative and progressive in my teaching, and if you're reading this blog, you probably are too. More frequently, I find traditional teaching practices outdated, often failing to reflect current research which addresses the needs of today's children. The research behind this article is mainly my own. While there doesn't seem to be much research in this area, I have no hesitation in saying that this arrangement has had a massively positive impact on well-being and learning in the children I teach.
Before I dive into all the great ways you could try flexible seating in your class, I want to take a moment to explain to you just how much value you and the children will get out of this. Here are just some of the benefits I saw in the children I teach throughout a year of implementing this in my class:
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1️⃣ First and foremost, I wanted the children in my class to be comfortable. Comfortable children fidget less and are better learners. They are better able to stay calm, focused and more productive. Being comfortable can mean choosing a different seat or choosing the same seat every time; the essential element here is CHOICE.
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2️⃣ Opportunities for the use of higher-order thinking skills increased, as does problem-solving and emotional skills such as conflict resolution. These are life skills I see children struggle with time and time again! 

3️⃣ Taking turns and showing patience becomes the daily norm. They quickly become good at practising diplomacy when popular seating is limited, especially for a generation of children over practised in immediate gratification.

4️⃣Children felt trusted to make good, independent choices. The children I teach know I value their ability to make the best choices for themselves; we develop positive, authentic relationships.

5️⃣ Initially, I spend a lot of time repeating what makes a good learner, something I might not have taught as much in a traditional seating arrangement. "Making good choices, working well in pairs, good listeners make good learners, moving quickly from one lesson to the next means more time for fun activities" on and on I repeated all these good learner mantras! Slowly, time spent chanting these reduced, the message started to sink in. The children began to see the value of what I was continuedly chanting on about for themselves.​

6️⃣ The benefits of peer support in learning are numerous. Children are well capable of choosing the right learning support partner on their own, and it's not always pairing a higher ability child with a weaker one. Sometimes two weak children will come together in a flexible seating activity and share a strategy they've come up with another child who shares the same challenges, simply because they connect with each other.

7️⃣The children felt a great sense of ownership over their positive, child-centred learning environment. As a result, they value the time, and collaborative effort put into making it a nice one. I very much involved the children in the decision to introduce flexible seating in our classroom, but I took control of the pace at which I introduced it. Ask them what kind of seating arrangements might make them better learners.

The real world requires people to make lots of choices and take responsibility over their work and learning, and our teaching should reflect the innovative and creative workers of tomorrow. 

8️⃣ I want them to be happy, independent, unique individuals. We value children's uniqueness and nurture their individuality. I want them to understand that learning is in their best interest and should be reflective of their interests and learning styles. Flexible seating empowers children with ownership over not just what they learn but how they learn it.

9️⃣ Building self-confidence is paramount in the early years. Without even realising it, traditional education can unknowingly oppress that confidence young children have to make their own choices. So many rules and so many tests which require one type of behaviour or one correct answer. Children slowly start to surrender to the rules and allow themselves to be guided in a line from one activity to another, never really feeling that their choices play a part in their school day. The real world requires people to make lots of choices and take responsibility over their work and learning; our teaching should reflect the innovative and creative workers of tomorrow.
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? Finally, flexible seating helps make learning FUN! I want children to come to school because they are excited about learning not because they have to! In my experience, the benefits far outweigh any negatives.

Hopefully, by now I've got you sold on introducing flexible seating into your class or at least a little further over the fence and willing to consider it! But before you throw out all your furniture and completely feng shui your classroom consider this:

The process of introducing this seating arrangement must be well planned and intentionally taught, managed by you in collaboration with your class. For it to work, you must have good management of your class. The first year I introduced flexible seating at the start of senior infants, I had my class the previous year, so I knew them well, and this worked. This year I took on someone else class in senior infants. I jumped straight into flexible seating and very quickly I could see it wasn't working. They are a very young class and couldn't handle the responsibility of freedom, and they didn't have the confidence to make decisions for themselves. Constantly arguing with each other, or clinging onto the same seat as if their life depended on it! So very quickly I rolled them back in, assigned seats and spots on the carpet and made the decision that I needed ultimately 'retrain' these little learners. They needed to learn the ground rules of my classroom first. But by no means did I decide just to bin the whole flexible seating idea! I just learnt that before children were ready for flexible seating they needed the following

• Rules must be followed, because flexible seating has a very strict code of conduct!
• Flexible seating requires a certain amount of maturity, but most infant learners (in this case, 4yrs - 6yrs) should be able to know the difference between good choices and bad ones. They just need some practice and support making them.
• Some of the children seemed terrified of making their own choice. They needed to be guided every step of the way. With the best intentions, infant teachers can be too quick to baby our little learners. Instead try supporting children in moving outside their comforts zones, teaching them it's ok to take risks. I'm not dismissing their insecurities I'm just showing them it's ok to step outside of our comfort zone. They're safe to do this in my classroom, and this builds self-confidence. 
• They needed to learn that in my class, they were going to become independent learners, in charge of their learning journey! ​

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Step 1
Assess your current classroom layout

• Remove any unnecessary tables and chairs. Infant children do not need as much space as you might think. Three children to a table works perfectly for them. Remember you will also be introducing other seating options, so it's unlikely they'll all be in use at one time anyway. 
•  I ditched my teacher desk too. Sure, when does an infant teacher get to sit down!
• Create as much open space as possible. One of the first comments people make about my room is how much space I have created in a relatively small room.

• Add some soft furnishings such as carpets and rugs. Every infant classroom should have at least one large rug area that can fit the whole class, preferably in front of the IWB.
• Develop a good feng shui in your room. The spatial arrangement and orientation of your room are very important for you and the children. You and the children should be able to move easily and safely around the room. 
• If it doesn't work, don't worry just keep rearranging until it does​.

Step 2
Source an array of flexible seating arrangements.

Have a least three different seating options to get you started. Here are a few ideas:

• large carpet area
• low "kneeling" table with pillows/cushions
• standing table
• rearrange your standard tables into various seating arrangements some on their own against a wall (offering a distraction-free option) and some in a group arrangement. You can also create an enclosed table by using cardboard on each side. This can work well for children with sensory needs.
• work rugs (bath mats)
• IKEA bathroom footstools
• ​large boxed boots with a half lid 
• old cot with mattress
• clipboards
• stools and mini tables (Ikea)

My Wish List:

• Small couch
• beanbags
• Stability ball

Step 3
Trial Run - know your class by identifying your problems!

I suggest that once you get your class set up, that you allow a day or two of letting the children jump headfirst into flexible seating. It is the best way to identify any issues unique to your class. During this trial period, make lots of observations about what worked well and what didn't. Take plenty of photos and videos which you'll use later to feedback your observations to the class. You'll very quickly see how your class respond to this 'freedom'. It will also put into context for the children that Flexible seating can't mean a complete 'free for all'! ​

Step 4
Reel them right back in!

Following your little trial run (maybe after 2/3 days) which may have been a little manic, you’ll have lots of reasons why you want to scrap the idea altogether! But please don't!!! Follow me onto the next step:
This is where you get your little fishing rod and reel them all back into a place! Gather the children together and explain why it didn't work. Show them the evidence you recorded, notes, photos or videos. Point out how child A, B ad C spent 5 minutes of learning time fighting over the tubs. Show them how on the secret video of carpet time child D,E, F and G were rocking around like garden gnomes in a storm. But also show them a picture of child H, I and J sitting calmly together during DEAR time and doing shared reading well!
Together as a class, write up a risk assessment. Other concerns you need to address might include supporting SEN children, try to work some sort of seating tool into their IEP together with the support team. 

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Step 5
​Introducing Rules... 

Explain to the children that following the risk assessment, you need to make up some rules as a class. Set target rules that work for your class that are reflective of your risk assessment. Be firm, fair and most importantly, consistent! I want the children to know that it is a privilege to be able to choose where they sit. That as a teacher, I am putting a lot of trust in them to make the right decisions. They will inevitably make some bad ones so I will support them in making up some ground rules.

Together we make a class anchor chart dictating rules for seating that we all agree on. They all sign it, and we revisit this anchor chart daily. 
The most important rule in my class is "Ms Murray has the right to move anyone, at any time!" There are no second chances. I move a child the minute they break any of the rules. The children soon realise I mean business and learn to make the right choice of where they sit. ​

Step 6
​Reintroduce flexible seating bit by bit

When you feel the children are ready, slowly start to reintroduce flexibility a small bit at a time. You have to have a good level of classroom management. Flexible seating can really help support children with behavioural issues but it does not fix poor classroom management. Firstly spend some time modelling good sitting in different areas. 
I start flexible seating by allowing movement between tables/chairs and the carpet for instruction time. All children are assigned seats in both areas. Spend a few days focusing on moving from a to b well, seat to carpet, seat to a line or whatever works for your room. Keep the movement limited initially.
​The moment a child shows distracting behaviour, they're back to their assigned seat. Continue this for a few weeks or however long it takes to get 100% control of your class. Every day I revisit the anchor chart and talk about what my expectations are. I regularly explain that as soon as I feel they're ready, I will start to re-introduce more flexible seating options. 

Over on my facebook and Instagram I have received ​ a lot of interest in flexible seating. Here are some of the most common questions I've been asked to address but please feel free to post any questions in the comments section below!

SEN children: I first introduced a box tub for a child with autism who liked to sit safe and enclosed. Then a child with ADHD came to visit my class and made a beeline for the tub. Next, I had another child with autism visit my class, and he seemed to work so happily behind my role play area on his own, closed off from the hustle and bustle of the classroom. I quickly realised that all children should be able to benefit from this type of seating arrangement. The importance of being able to choose their own quiet space was a game-changer for supporting and managing children with sensory and behavioural needs. There is power for them in choosing where they will work. They know that the work isn’t optional, but choosing where they work is. As long as it's not disturbing the learning of others, they can fidget, bounce, wobble or sit in an enclosed area if they wish.

Safety:​ All seating arrangement are entirely safe. I only ever found the plastic IKEA stool a bit slippy, so I've gotten rid of these. I do have to remind the children to be mindful of where they are walking, so they don’t knock into people sitting on the floor. An opportunity for working on gross motor skills! ​

Does it get too noisy? The simple answer is no. Not unless I want it too! I encourage children to talk as much as possible. Language is incredibly important, and it is developed through talking, not just listening. However, there are certain times during the day when I am instructing that they can't speak. Also, during independent handwriting lessons, they have to work very quietly, even silently. Remember the rule that teacher moves anyone at any time, well they soon learn not to talk during quiet time, or they get moved. Most of the day they can speak, but I find that if you can get your class excited about learning they are generally talking on topic which is perfect! ​

Substitute/student-teacher visiting: I've never had any problems with sub teachers working with my class (that I know of), but I do have the rules up on my wall there for any substitute for referring to. You could also assign a student to explain the seating arrangement to the substitute teacher. The same goes if you have a teaching student in your class. 

Sitting beside their friend: The benefits of sitting beside a friend far outweigh the challenges. The increase in learning because of peer support was something I had never experienced before. Children learn from each other so readily. They support each other, learn from each other, which particularly benefits the weaker children. It was amazing how supportive of each other they became and so beautiful to watch! 

What about workbooks, pencils, schoolbags etc.? I have a personal tray for each child. They keep all their belongings here. There is plenty of movement between each lesson as part of my transitions, and this is a time they can get what they need for each activity, this also develops independence and responsibility for their belongings. Schools bags go on their hangers outside the classroom. I hate the cluttered look of schoolbag under tables/chairs, now my classroom so much safer and easier to move around and desks are always clear!

In-class groups: ​I have in-class a few times a week, and the children have to work in assigned groups. The teachers who do in-class prefer the children seating on chairs at tables, so I accommodate this, and it's not a problem. ​

Can everyone sit and see the board: Absolutely. I don't do a lot of work where the children are copying from the board, but if I need to there are always enough places for the children to see the board, but it would include footstools on the carpet. ​

 Standardised testing: There are no rules to say that children have to sit in the same seats for testing. I think they would do better if they were in comfortable seating arrangements. However, you should follow your principal's lead on this one. ​

My room isn't big enough: A good classroom layout is even more important in this situation, flexible seating can take up less space and actually create more open areas in your small classroom! Removing the need for chairs opens up lots of space at stand up desks or kneeling tables, or individual stackable footstep desks. 
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Children who argue over seats: Initially there were a few arguments over the more novelty seating arrangements. If there was one seating area, particularly that was causing trouble, I would put it 'out of action' for a few days. Children soon realised it was in their best interests to solve their issues civilly. 

In no time, the children started to choose seats that worked best for them. I would often just stop and take a photo in amazement of how they would spread themselves out so beautifully, entirely on their own. At times you would think I choreographed the seating arrangement they organised themselves into. I guess this type of seating helped them develop a perfect sense of personal space. ​

Children who like the same seat: If There is a child who for whatever reason needs or want to have an assigned seat then that's fine. As long as I've used flexible seating, I've had a child who wished to have their seat assigned. The children and I accommodated that. But as a child with Autism might like an assigned seat, a child I had with ADHD might need the freedom to move. I can not recommend highly enough the benefits of flexible seating for children with behavioural challenges. It has worked as the key strategy to managing their sensory and movement needs "Tommy, do you need to sit somewhere else"? and off he moves... problem solved. ​

Money money money! I don't have any budget to buy any nice seats. Alot of the furniture in my room I've paid for out of my own money. A lot of the other stuff I've salvaged, or family has donated it. Ask parents, look on adverts or free stuff websites. Become creators, not consumers!

Upsetting the traditionalist: one follower talked about feeling restricted in the amount of change they can initiate without upsetting the more traditionalists members of staff. My advice would be to push the change as much as you can, do it quietly and try not to put any noses out of joint with your super progressive teaching ideas! Slowly, my staff have come to accept that I do things differently. I don't force my ways on anyone else, but they respect mine.

Does everyone have a table and chair? Yes, you have to be able to have a space to move a child to. Also, if all that is left is a standing spot and the child doesn't like it then you have to be able to offer them a standard seating arrangement. Also, I might mention, I’m not anti-table and chair I just want to provide alternatives. Some children choose to sit at the table on a chair, but they still benefit from plenty of movement around the class, which increases focus.

What's my favourite seating? ​My preferred seating would be footstools. I'd happily fill my classroom with them and remove the traditional desks. They stack away so quickly to create a massive amount of space for play. ​

What I want is for children to be strategic about their choice of seat. I want to learn what is the thought process behind their decision. So this idea of asking them and surveying the seating arrangement in your class is essential for you the teacher as well as them as learners. Even young infant learners can be encouraged to know their preferences, and as long as that preference doesn't impact on their peers learning, then we should try and accommodate it.

I hope you have found this blog interesting and maybe you feel ready to give flexible seating a go in your classroom? I promise you won't regret it! Ultimately any sort of change takes time, especially in regards to education. But the world is changing; it's fast becoming a young person's world as they seem to be taking the reins a little more every day. I plan to support them every step of the way, starting in my 21st-century classroom! 

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