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How do you keep students with varying exceptionalities engaged and attentive in the classroom? You might be sitting on the answer!

I want to create a unique classroom environment that allows students the opportunity to make choices and take ownership of their learning. I am an ESE Inclusion teacher and want to create a classroom that has flexible seating.

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First Class Seating

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School:
Big Cypress Elementary 
Subject:
Special Needs Students 
Teacher:
Staci Haralson Barretta 
Students Impacted:
25 
Grade:
3 
Date:
July 12, 2017

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

 

Ray Sutton McGehee Foundation - $749.87

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Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 20

My students feel empowered by having a choice and control over their work environment. Flexible seating allows my students to choose where they work and with whom. It also allows them to change their location and positions as needed. Flexible seating has allowed my students to wobble, rock, bounce, lean or stand, which increases oxygen flow to the brain, blood flow and core strength. In turn, burning more calories and increasing metabolism. It also helps keep their minds more alert and focused. The small bursts of physical activity directly leads to higher academic performance, better health, and more on task behavior. Flexible seating fostered more collaboration amongst students. They can quickly and easily pair up, work in small groups, or discuss as a whole class. Our classroom environment has become more conducive to open collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. It also requires introducing higher-order thinking skills, like problem-solving, and emotional skills, like conflict resolution. There’s also much value in fostering turn-taking and patience – especially for a generation of kids immersed in immediate gratification.

I have witnessed flexible seating options stimulating students’ sense of touch. This type of stimulation can help children focus and process information. Sensory input is especially helpful for students with ADHD, ADD, and ASD.

Overall, my classroom has become more active, engaged, enthusiastic, and relaxed as a result of flexible seating.

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Scoop Rockers

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Wooble Stools

 

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Bouncy Bands

 

Original Grant Overview

Goal

How do you keep students with varying exceptionalities engaged and attentive in the classroom? You might be sitting on the answer!

I want to create a unique classroom environment that allows students the opportunity to make choices and take ownership of their learning. I am an ESE Inclusion teacher and want to create a classroom that has flexible seating.  

 

What will be done with my students

"If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."

Keeping a child's attention on their schoolwork can be difficult. Doing so when a child has identified medical, academic, and emotional disabilities can be even more challenging. Several of my students have decreased muscle tone or a constant need for movement-based sensory input that contributes to fidgeting, slouching or soreness, making it difficult for them to engage in learning.

A classroom with flexible seating looks different from a traditional classroom that uses desks and chairs. Items such as stability cushions, "wooble" stools, bouncy balls, and rockers help to keep students actively engaged in their learning. Their muscles crave activity, making it difficult for them to sit still for long periods of time or focus during seated activities. A flexible seating classroom allows students to move and adjust themselves in a non-disruptive way, they burn excess energy and get the stimulus that their muscles are looking for, making them more attentive in class.

 

 

Benefits to my students

"A body in motion is a brain in motion."

As a child moves during active sitting, the heart pumps a bit faster and blood vessels in the legs and hips open up which increases blood flow. Better blood flow means more oxygen gets to the brain. With more oxygen, brain function increases, allowing for improved focus and better knowledge retention.

Some kids just have to keep moving! 

 

Budget Narrative

Each table/center in my classroom can sit 5 students. My wish is that each of my 5 tables/centers can have 5 of each type of seating. This would provide 25 seating options so every student can be comfortable!!
 

 

Items

# Item Cost
1 Kore Patented WOBBLE Chair (x5) $349.95
2 Stability Wooble Cusion (x5) $74.85
3 Scoop Rocker (x5) $59.98
4 Gaiam Kids Stay-n-Play Balance Ball (x5) $99.90
5 Bouncy Chair Bands (x5) $69.75
6 Shipping & Handling $67.09
7 Estimated Tax $28.35
  Total: $749.87

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Special Thanks to Our Presenting Partners

Suncoast Credit Union