Colleen Metzler has an active group of students.
Her 4th graders, the largest class in her Vermont school, are constantly bursting with energy. While Metzler incorporates movement breaks throughout the day, she’s also found flexible seating to be a valuable outlet for their energy.
Throughout her classroom, office chairs (which the class calls “rollie chairs”), exercise balls, wobble stools, wooden T stools, elastic kick bands that attach to regular chair seats, and floor desks that allow students to sit and work in groups while the desk rests across their lap, are just some of the seating options.
And if that sounds like chaos, know that it hasn’t always gone smoothly.
When Metzler first brought flexible seating into her classroom as a new teacher, she simply put the options out there and waited to see what happened. She quickly realized structure was needed, and now has a clear set of expectations that she uses to ensure the seats are being used safely and appropriately. Students must follow rules around movement directions, and bouncing limits.
She starts the school year by allowing students to test the limits—bouncing and wiggling excessively—while their classmates watch from the front of the room. This way, they can see firsthand how disruptive it can be. With this approach, students learn to regulate themselves and each other, making flexible seating a cornerstone of her classroom.
Here, she explains how it all works.
