There are plenty of studies that isolate the effects of light, acoustics, or air quality on learning. But the research on flexible classrooms is frustratingly scarce. Despite the challenges, an ambitious effort to study the design of lived-in classrooms, including looking at hard-to-define factors like flexibility, was completed in 2015 by the University of Salford, in the United Kingdom. 

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Flexible classrooms give students a choice in what kind of learning space works best for them, and help them to work collaboratively, communicate, and engage in critical thinking. Since implementing flexible classrooms, Albemarle County Public Schools have noticed that: 

• Their students' grades have improved.

• Their students seem happier and more engaged.

• Their students are participating more and having more invigorating conversations.

How It's Done.​

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Once upon a time, classroom seating was so inflexible that desks and chairs were literally bolted to the floor. These days, though, flexible seating options have become game changers for teachers and students.

​“There’s a lot of research showing a correlation between the subtle movements that flexible seating allows and an increase in student focus and engagement,” says Joe Russell, principal at Washington Elementary School in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. “It makes classrooms more accessible for students, increases student engagement, and opens the room to a variety of learning styles.”

To read more: https://www.weareteachers.com/best-flexible-seating-options/

Flexible seating is transforming classrooms, enabling new modes of learning, and deepening student—and teacher—engagement. Many educators have questions about how to make the leap. We answer the flexible seating questions that many teachers have—like how to keep fire marshals happy.

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An elementary teacher who has been using flexible seating for over a decade responds to the concerns he hears most frequently from other teachers. During my 14-year flexible seating journey, I’ve taught a mix of first through third grade classes, including multigrade classrooms with up to 28 students. I’ve encountered plenty of challenges, but through research and some trial and error, I’ve been able to create a sustainable flexible seating environment that is differentiated for my students’ needs.

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 I noticed that kindergartners could learn while standing, kneeling, huddling under a table, and even sitting in a wooden cubby. I saw my principal take a reading group to the office, where students loved to cram themselves beside the copier, between UPS boxes, and under a table. All this got me thinking: Why do we work at desks? Why stop students from wiggling? Could we purposefully educate students to recognize the locations they work best in?

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