Alternative seating options for elementary students is bringing a positive environment to kids at Stewart Elementary School in Washington. The practice is called flexible seating, which principal Adam Miller explains, “It’s basically no more desks in rows and individual seating for all kids, so there are stations set up around the room, where kids can sit on a medicine ball, special chairs, rockers, regular desks or stand up desks. It’s just different ways of seating for different styles of kids.” Teachers still give the class as a whole direct instruction and lessons while they’re seated on the carpet and then students break out to the different stations to do their independent work.

Two teachers at the school have implemented flexible seating. Miller explained it helps those fidgety students get that energy out while still learning. There is interest from other teachers in the building, after they’ve observed the two classrooms with flexible seating. Students have shown good results with how active and engaged they are in class with their lessons and their peers.