Rambling Rose: March 2011

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Who Needs a Desk?

I saw a video with a classroom where there weren't any assigned desks. The students could choose to sit on exercise balls or stand at podiums. They could use a desk if they wanted or even lay on the floor. This was thought to give the students more freedom to think and learn how they learn best. When I saw it I thought: WHAT A JOKE!

My kids were dead this morning. I wanted them energized...because I feel dead. So I had them stand up and do some jumping jacks, hop on one foot, twirl their arms and reach in to touch their nose...etc.

I have the students working on test prep for the big CRT tests coming up. This can be dull. So I switched things up there too. I gave each student a newspaper and had each student (per table) pick a different article. They then came up with comprehension questions for their article. Then the students will rotate their papers. The next student finds that article, reads it, and answers the questions using complete sentences.

So here's the big twist...I told the kids that they can sit however they want, but they have to be using their space (desk, chair, or floor area). The kids instantly perked up. I have kids lounging back with their feet on their desks. I have kids sitting on the floor using the chair as a desk. I have students sitting on their desk using their chair as a step stool. I have students laying under their desks. I have students sitting on their chairs with their legs balled up or crossed underneath them. It looks fun. But here is the really exciting thing about it: EVERYONE is ON TASK. EVERYONE is WORKING. EVERYONE is AWAKE.

Interesting.

I don't think I could do this all of the time. Anything done all the time loses it's purpose over time. But I can see this as a refreshing way to spice things up for my students.