Personalized Learning in 13 Blogs-Step8: Choosing Seating

When the students returned after winter break, they found the room rearranged. I listened to their ideas when polled so that we had more short desks than tall ones. Also, we had desks arranged in groups of 6, 4, 3, 2, and single islands. In addition, I removed a few desks to make room and offered space on the class carpet with a clipboard. Students loved choosing daily. For some students, they needed to know they had a seat away from others so they made requests for specific assigned seats. After reminding some students daily that they needed to choose appropriately so that they could work efficiently, they earned assigned seats away from buddies. For most, it has worked out well with daily choices, but it is interesting because even with the choice being theirs, they demonstrate preferences for types of seating. We did have one set back when the students told a substitute that she couldn’t assign their seats. We dealt with that and are back in a rhythm. I do want to point out that everyone else who enters our classroom asks “why” the desks are so short. Being different is difficult to accept for some people, but we love it.