Seat of learning perks up
The conventional seating arrangement in the classroom, where pupils sit behind rows of desks facing the teacher, has been turned upside down at a school in Johannesburg.
Unlike their peers at other schools who sit on the same chair in class for the whole day, Grade 4 pupils at Dainfern College are free to change seats during lessons.
The Grade 4 classroom is equipped with, among other things, soft and colourful “wobbly” or “buddy” chairs that have either a square or circular base.
Sandi Tyson, the Grade 4 teacher who introduced the flexible seating arrangement at Dainfern, said it had resulted in a tremendous improvement in classroom engagement and “buy-in” to the tasks that pupils are given.
“We have tried to get as many different varieties of seating options so that each and every child could find a spot or seat in the class that works for them.”
Pupils choose a seat to suit the task they are busy with.
“They may sit in various seats throughout the day. The idea is that a child does not have to sit anywhere for a long period of time. They match the seat to the task or how they are feeling.”
The new seating “assists the children to be more engaged in the activity”, she said.
“The wobbly chairs in particular help the child who feels the need to fidget to be more settled and attentive in the classroom environment.
“The fact that they can also move from one space to another during the day also helps them, as they are not stuck in one place for the whole day.
“This has really assisted in maintaining the children’s attention and keeping them engaged.”
She said that Grade 5 and Grade 7 pupils were awaiting their furniture.
“Teaching in a classroom with 25 of the same desks in rows or groups often does not inspire creative thinking and unique thoughts. The quality of work I am getting is better as the children are taking more accountability for their learning.”