Alternative Seating in the Classroom

Hello Readers!

This week I want to talk about alternative seating in the classroom. I recently received four yoga balls to test out in my classroom. For now, they are placed at each of the desktop computers in the back of the room. From the moment these new “seats” arrived, my students all wanted to bounce on them right away.

            Research has shown that sitting on a yoga ball increases concentration while allowing students to get all of their wiggles out. Students benefit from the strengthening of their core as well as from proper posture. One of the classrooms in my school has gone completely chair-free offering yoga balls or short stools as seating options. The teacher has created an environment where desks and chairs no longer get in the way of open communication and collaboration between students. Many of her students who struggle with attention deficit or hyperactivity disorders have benefitted from being able to constantly move on a yoga ball while completing their assignments. Seeing the success of my colleague and her students made me want to give it a try in my classroom.

            Several of my students have a constant case of the wiggles and need to get up out of their seats to move regularly. When the option for yoga balls presented itself, I was willing to try them out. So far, the balls have been in my classroom for three weeks. My students absolutely love sitting on them! Many students are drawn to the yoga balls during silent reading time and of course computer work. At times, the students will forget that these “seats” are learning tools not toys. Frequent reminders to sit properly, not bounce them like a basketball, and not to roll them all over the room are necessary. I hope that after a few more weeks, the novelty of the yoga balls will have worn off and the students won’t need the reminders anymore. It is my hope that with continued success, I will add more yoga balls to my collection.

Until Next Time,

~A