Hey y'all! Long time, no see! I apologize for the long wait between this post and Part 1. Some of you may know this, but in September we welcomed our baby girl, Reagan, into the world! I've been taking time off to spend with her! Now it's time to get back to business! In Part 1 of this series, I talked about how I structure my lesson time in my classroom. Rather than teaching whole group for the entire class, I incorporate small group time into each day. Today, we're going to talk about how flexible seating plays a huge roll in my ability to teach the way I do.
Flexible seating can be ANYTHING that is useful or fun. I found this adorabe campfire, my kiddos love sitting in the bean bags around it!
Two years ago, I made the decision to transform my classroom to full flexible seating. I had seen many classroom teachers do this and wondered how it might work in the music classroom. I knew that I would need seating options for kiddos of all shapes and sizes since I teach PreK-5th grade. So began the hunt for pillows, rugs, stools and so much more! After a summer of shopping, I ended up with about 35 different seating options for my classroom. My class sizes range between 15-25 so I knew there would be plenty. I also got some smaller tables from IKEA and placed them around the room in groups (see where I'm going here?!). I made crate seats from plastic milk crates I got at Target. They slide right under the IKEA tables and offer storage! If you want to see how I made them, check out this blog post for step-by-step instructions!
DIY Crate Seats anyone? Check out how my hubby and I made these cute additions to my flexible seating options!
It was (and still is) important to me that every student had a chance to work where they felt most comfortable. This was another reason for having extra options. Some students like to sit against the cabinet and work alone. Some like to sit at a table with their friends and socialize while they work. Some just want to sprawl out on the floor and take up as much space as possible. These choices all had to have a space in my classroom. So, I set up the IKEA tables in 3 separate groups around the room. Then, the pillows and rugs could be used wherever the students want. I also have a back table that's built in where they have stools to set on.
You're probably wondering what all of this has to do with stations, right? The great part about this set up, is that I have built in groupings throughout the room. For example, if 2nd graders have 5 stations for the week here is how they might look:
I love my rug! the lines and spaces are such a great visual, and I have the kids sit on the blocks around the outside when they first come in my room.
- Station 1: Matching Game on the Rug
- Station 2: Instrument Station at Table One
- Station 3: Smart Board Game
- Station 4: Rhythm Reading at Table Two
- Station 5: Coloring Station at the Back Table
It seems so simple. However, let me tell you...it's a game changer. Having designated areas in the room for each station keeps my kids focused and engaged the ENTIRE class period. Remember back to Part 1 of the series. I only teach for about 10 minutes each day. That means a full 35-40 minutes of small group/station time. And I promise you, they are on task THE WHOLE TIME! If we aren't doing true rotations (more on this in Part 3 & 4), the same holds true. They get to choose where they sit and work with friends. Flexible seating has been a life saver for my classroom. Not only does it lend itself to my small group work, but my kiddos love being able to choose their seat for the day.
Make sure to keep and eye out for Part 3 of the series coming soon! We'll be talking about how "stations" don't have to mean "rotations." If you missed Part 1, click below to check it out!
Part 1: Lesson Structure and Setting Expectations
Next in the Series:Part 3: Stations Do Not (Have to) Equal Rotations
- Part 4: "Free Choice" Stations
- Part 5: Engagement and Individual Assessment
Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment below and let me know how you use (or would like to use) flexible seating in your classroom!