Most classrooms consist of the usual setup, which includes desks, tables, and chairs. However, that is not the case in Mr. Ng’s Anatomy and Physiology class. In his classroom, he established a new setup, which is called “Flexible Seating”. Flexible seating gives students the opportunity of being able to choose where they would like to sit and do their work. It allows students to work in their own learning environment. In his classroom, there are a variety of seating arrangements. There is a couch, lawn chairs, barstools and chairs, standing desks, tables and regular desks, as well. Each individual may sit wherever they choose would be the best fit for their working environment for the day.
There has been plenty of research done on whether or not flexible seating improves learning or not. Having a wide range of options that allow students to work in different positions can either benefit the students or hold their learning back. There have been studies that show when students are constantly moving around the classroom, they are more engaged and can better retain information they are learning. When first introducing the concept of “flexible seating”, it creates excitement amongst the students because it’s something new and different. Students have a tendency to have an improved attitude about the classroom and are more eager to learn. Flexible seating allows for open communication and collaboration. It allows students to have a sense of comfort and makes them feel as if they are at home studying or completing work for their classes.
The atmosphere in which you work in can make a major difference, especially in school. Some students would rather work in a relaxed environment, whereas other students may want to work in a more stable environment that they feel they can focus better in. It all depends on the student and how they work in different types of settings. For some students, studying in a relaxed and comfortable area such as a couch, can be a distraction and may cause a feeling of tiredness. Other students can concentrate just fine in an area that is comfortable and they may find it difficult and uncomfortable to sit in a desk and chair all day long at school. Junior, Izaiah Burgos feels like flexible seating benefits him in many ways. “Mr. Ng’s choice to do flexible seating has honestly been one of the best decisions made ever and one of the best things TCHS has granted. I enjoy sitting in a couch at the end of the day and being able to be comfortable while learning. The regular desk has some sort of feel that makes you not want to learn sometimes. So, having a couch or lawn chair to relax and make myself comfortable really helps,” Burgos stated.
Another junior, Emily Rodrigues feels the same way about the flexible seating arrangement. “I really like Ng’s flexible seating classroom because it lets us choose a place to sit that we think would help us learn the best. If you want to stay standing for the day, you can go to one of the standing desks or if you want to be a little more comfortable, you could sit on the couch or one of the lawn chairs and if a good old fashioned desk is what you like the best, you can sit in one of those too,” Rodrigues said.