FLEXIBLE SEATING: A TOOL FOR MOVEMENT, STUDENT SOCIALIZATION, AND COLLABORATION IN ELEMENTARY CHILDREN by Erin Lowder Davidson A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION IN CURRICULUM EDUCATION WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY Ogden, Utah July 8, 2019 Approved _____________________________ Stephanie Speicher, Ph.D. _____________________________ DeeDee Mower, Ph.D. _____________________________ Michelle Dalby, M.Ed. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 2 Table of Contents ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………...……………3 NATURE OF THE PROBLEM………………………………………………………………...4 Literature Review…………………………………………………………………….…6 Traditional Classroom Management……………………………………………6 Challenges for Students in Traditional Seating………………………………...9 Student movement……………………………………...…...……….......9 Social interaction……………………………………………………….11 Flexible Solutions……………………………………………………...…….15 Summary………………………………………………………………………………...18 PURPOSE……………………………………………………………………………………...19 METHOD…………………………………………………………………………………...….20 Procedure………………………………………………………………………….…...20 FINDINGS…………………………………………………………………………….……......24 Conclusions………………………………………………………….………………...…51 Limitations………………………………………………………………….…………...56 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………...…….…58 Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 3 ABSTRACT This autoethnography project was conducted to determine how flexible seating options can affect student movement, socialization, and collaboration. Students were given multiple seating options throughout 18 months and allowed to explore where and how they work best in a classroom. The qualitative data collected through a teacher journal with photographs suggests that students respond positively to alternative learning and space options within a flexible seating classroom. Flexible seating may stimulate academic and social development among students in a classroom setting. Also, increased student movement may increase student focus within the school setting. This autoethnography intends to highlight the benefits and struggles of creating a flexible seating classroom for elementary learners. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 4 NATURE OF THE PROBLEM Traditionally, elementary teachers have, in part, maintained classroom management by structuring their physical classroom design. Assigned seating, often in rows of desks and chairs, has been the primary arrangement to promote daily classroom routine (Evertson & Weinstein, 2006). Elementary students sit in the same desk throughout their school day and work through materials presented with occasional breaks for recess, special classes, and lunch. Desk arrangement and class flow have been in the hands of teachers to determine where and when students can and cannot move and socialize with peers during the learning process (Gremmen, Berg, Segers, & Cillessen, 2016). Children, however, need movement and social interaction, which results in better behavior and scholastic achievement (Mahar et al., 2006). Both academic and social-emotional learning takes place when children are allowed movement and ownership of their learning environment (Evertson & Weinstein, 2006). Social interaction can benefit students throughout their school day as they learn. Student engagement within the learning process influenced the health and emotional well-being of each student during their academic performance. (Barrett, Davies, Zhang, & Barrett, 2015). Therefore, maintaining traditional seating may prevent student collaboration and social interaction among students, thus reducing learning opportunities. In traditional classroom row/desk arrangements, students are not allowed the proximity to benefit from group interaction (Barrett et al., 2015). Denton (1992) discovered students learned from each other throughout their day in school, which increased on-task group interaction and decreased off-task behavior. This group seating flexibility can assist teachers with classroom management and content presentation. Wannarka & Ruhl (2008) further noted that there were more questions asked and answered Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 5 collectively if students were allowed to sit in collaborative groups versus rows. Reshaping the student workplace by implementing flexible seating in elementary schools may promote individual students’ physical well-being and collaboration. By allowing students the flexibility to move desks and seating arrangements into small groups versus the standard elementary row arrangement, opportunities for collaboration are created (Burgeson, 2017). Seating arrangements in the classroom may add the flexibility in learning. Changing the layout of the classroom to foster collaboration, increase classroom management, and social interaction may increase students’ ability to retain information. Students must learn how to work together to be successful in the future (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008). Academic socialization and social acceptance may increase within a flexible seating environment. As the traditional classroom is rearranged into a student-choice environment, students have a better opportunity for multiple interactions with several classmates within the same day (Gremmen et al., 2016). Wannarka and Ruhl (2008) also believed that the ability of movement and academic socialization may all be influenced for the better by flexible seating options. More research needs to be done with teachers and how they can balance classroom management and flexible seating options. Everston and Weinstein (2006) suggest management of the classroom is, “the actions teachers take to create an environment that supports and facilitates both academic and social-emotional learning” (pp. 4-5). Both are crucial pieces to the academic puzzle. Few jobs require working in isolation. Students must learn to work in groups and manage their education (Rawlings, Bolton, & Notar 2017). Teachers need to have the role as a facilitator in the classroom. Barrett et al. (2015) all agree and add that learning this social dependence and independence needs to be taught to students in early education to prepare them Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 6 for future job success. New research is continuously being done on the roles of seating and structure of classrooms for student academic and social success in education (Gremmen et al., 2012). Classroom management and a flexible learning environment are essential in maintaining positive behavior among students (Barrett et al., 2015). Literature Review This literature review will first discuss the role traditional classroom management has had on routine and structure within the elementary education classroom. Next, challenges will be addressed that impact students in these situations. The need for student movement and social interaction both impact young learners in public education. Finally, flexible seating alternatives will be addressed that may improve movement, socialization, and collaboration within the classroom. Traditional Classroom Management Classroom management is created by routines that create successful teaching and student understanding (Rawlings, Bolton, & Notar, 2017). Dillenbourg (2013) further identified management in the classroom as an orchestration of how the teacher manages multilayered activities within a multilayered context. Rawlings et al. (2017) described that the creation of a classroom community came through classroom management routines that focused on organization and structure. According to one study completed by Educational Research Service (2005), positive classroom management correlated to favorable instruction. Many educators feel that classroom order is maintained by the layout of the classroom (Dimitriadis, Prieto, & Asensio-Perez, 2013). It is at the teacher’s discretion if the classroom is managed as a teacher-centered work area with straight rows facing forward, or students together in collaboration groups. Regardless of the layout chosen, the physical space in the classroom Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 7 influenced learning and impacted teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards school (Gremmen et al., 2016). Every classroom is a complex environment that requires constant decision making by teachers (Pointon & Kershner, 2000). Teachers’ beliefs in pedagogic practices have influenced classroom management in regards to seating arrangements (de Vries, van de Grift, & Jansen, 2013). Student seating accommodations are important for interaction, atmosphere, and behavior (TesolClass, 2018). For example, Wannarka and Ruhl (2008) reported that student placement in the classroom was related to the number of questions directed towards the teacher. Students seated closest to the teacher’s direct instruction zone had higher participation levels. Similarly, Grandstrom (1996) found that students located in the back of the classroom gave less attention to teacher instructions and direct teaching. In that same year, Fang (1996) noted that mainstream teachers’ perception of classroom information created a central part of their belief system. He discovered that teaching practices were influenced by environmental factors. As a result, teachers’ philosophy and beliefs influenced their classroom management and organization (Denton, 1992). Most students enter their first day of each school year expecting desks perfectly lined up and ready for an independent learning experience (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008). One study located in the Netherlands (Gremmen et al., 2016) researched how both teachers and students reacted to various classroom settings and their impact on student learning. Many teachers began the year with traditional row arrangements to maintain order and compliance of students. As the year progressed, small group seating was introduced to increase cooperative learning. More experienced teachers preferred an academically-oriented row structure in the classroom while less experienced teachers seemed drawn to more socially-oriented group work. Novice teachers were more willing to include collaboration projects and team building into their teaching style. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 8 The Gremmen et al. study (2016) illustrated the teaching philosophy shift from traditional to group seating arrangements that are being promoted within teacher preparation courses. The Gremmen et al. study (2016) was supported by data drawn from earlier researchers. Pointon and Kershner (2000) focused on teacher management of the classroom learning environment. This study took place in the UK and included data from three middle schools with three experienced teachers, all teaching for at least five years. While still promoting the importance of collaboration, all three teachers opted for a more traditional seating environment with students focused on the front of the classroom. The study concluded that the teachers were willing to allow some choice in aspects of the learning environment, but not all (Pointon & Kershner, 2000). Martin, Yin, & Mayall (2006) found that experienced teachers became more controlling than beginning teachers in regards to their classroom management and seating arrangements. Gremmen et al. (2016) supported this view by pointing out that teachers coming out of universities more recently are trained in classroom management of group work and peer relationship study. One of the first questions asked by parents on back to school night is often, “So, honey, where do you sit?” (Parnell, 2013, p.26). Sitting and school have historically gone hand in hand. Traditionally, students have been asked to sit in the same area throughout the day to complete expected tasks (Gremmen et al., 2016). Wannarka and Ruhl (2008) concluded that row seating arrangements in classrooms increased positive academic behaviors. These behaviors, including hand-raising and student compliance to directions, helped teachers maintain classroom management routines. Gremmen et al. (2016) also discovered that although many teachers preferred group seating arrangements, most reverted to more traditional seating arrangements to control active and distracted students. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 9 Challenges for Students in Traditional Seating Student movement. Students spend a good portion of their childhood at school (Mahar, Rowe, Golden, Shields, & Raedeke, 2006). Formal, structured education leads to reduced physical activity which may increase cognitive development. (Pellegrina & Smith, 1998). Rigor in education and pressures of standardized testing has reduced opportunities for movement and exercise (as cited in Bachman & Fuqua, 1983). Mahar et al. (2006) noted, however, that the classroom provided an excellent opportunity for students to be active and physically engaged. After studying 243 students throughout their school day, physical activity in the classroom improved on-task behavior during instruction. Although Bachman and Fuqua’s study focused primarily on mentally disabled students, they agreed with the findings of Mahar et al. that children improved scholastically when physical activity was introduced throughout the day. Children process the world around them through their senses and experiences (Carter, 2017). As an advocate for movement in the classroom, Parnell (2013) stressed the importance of giving children the chance to learn self-regulation during their school day. Carter discovered that when children were able to take control of their learning space and their movement during direct instruction, they had more retention of the materials presented to them. As teachers released traditional roles and attitudes in education, students processed meaning and understanding of concepts during the learning process while still being allowed the choice of movement (Pellegrina & Smith, 1998). Novelli & Edgar (1997) stressed the importance of identifying the individual movement needs of students in the classroom. Tables, desks, or even the floor can all become academic zones that can quickly be altered to make space for classroom movement and physical activity (Parnell, 2013). “Giving students the space they need to accommodate their learning modalities Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 10 can make an enormous difference in the way they learn and behave” (Novelli & Edgar, 1997, p. 1). Active participation increased if students were allowed to move during direct teaching and independent work time (Novelli & Edgar). They surveyed students to determine various student movement needs before teaching began. This allowed time to frontload modifications for various learning styles. Many behaviors were eliminated before they became a problem in the classroom setting. They realized the assessment of student needs allowed for changes in the classroom that enabled individual student success (Novelli & Edgar, 1997). Various characteristics from the classroom can impact student learning and movement opportunities. Royeen and Lane (1991) researched the human brain and discovered it maintained the optimal state of attention only with assistance from sensory stimuli. The brain arousal was low when associated with drowsiness and high when exposed to hyperactivity. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder improved in their educational practices when exposed to movement options in the classroom (Schilling, Washington, Billingsley, & Deitz, 2003). An additional study on Saudi female students also found improvement in academic performance when movement was allowed throughout the day. In this study, therapy balls were used to increase movement opportunities (Al-Eisa, Buragadda, & Rao Melam, 2013). Further, Niemeyer (2003) researched a group of students attending university classes. Although this study focused on older students, results agreed with other studies that students learned in multiple ways, so the environment should be adaptable to various learning preferences. Student-focused classrooms not only promoted teamwork but also encouraged active class participation and movement (Lackney, 1999). Niemeyer also noted that when students were feeling uncomfortable or anxious sitting in a standard school-issued chair, it was often difficult to remain focused and engaged with the instructor. The implications of reduced Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 11 physical activity on academic performance and school-related stress are becoming more evident among students (Mahar et al., 2006). Mahar et al. (2006) further suggested that physical activity within the school day created an important piece of overall health in children. In their study of school-age children, movement interventions were added throughout the school day to 15 classes between kindergarten and fourth-grade. Results concluded that on-task behavior increased when movement activities were added throughout the school day. These movement programs increased children’s academic performance. The Centers for Disease Control (2018) suggested that school-age children should be involved in physical activity at least 60 minutes throughout the day. These guidelines back up Mahar et al.’s (2006) previous findings that children need to increase and maintain physical activity. Pellegrina & Smith (1998) realized that reduced concentration was directly linked to prolonged academic instruction within the elementary classroom. Children also became increasingly fidgety and uncooperative if movement breaks were limited Social interaction. Lev Vygotsky (1978) was a leading theorist in social/cultural learning theories. His findings on social interaction and collaborative learning groups have created a substantial impact on public education. He believed that peer and teacher interactions create an environment where the most important learning takes place. Vygotsky argued that collaboration, discussion, and feedback can be created by a teacher in the classroom to facilitate lifelong learners. Mercer (2002) agreed with Vygotsky’s previous findings as he stressed the importance of children’s participation in social academic interactions. Group work has been shown to provide increased opportunities for students within the classroom that cannot be matched by teacher-driven instruction (Kumpulainen & Wray, 2003). Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 12 The way students and teachers work together in the classroom can be compared to a well-practiced orchestra (Dimitriadis et al., 2013). Cooperation skills among student to student, and student to the teacher are essential (Lane et al., 2004). Poulou (2014) found that the multi-layered activities that carry on throughout the day must have structure, organization, and balance to foster a positive learning environment. She noted that student collaboration and socialization within the classroom were important pieces to modern education for elementary schools. Gremmen et al. (2016) further suggested teachers should focus on improving the social interactions among students to create an environment of collaboration. Hutchins, Burke, Hatton, & Bowman-Perrott (2017) supported both of the previous findings and found that the social-emotional learning created by teachers and students formed a large piece of public education. Children learn from each other which social norms are acceptable and tolerated (Lane et al., 2004). These researchers studied one hundred twenty-six elementary teachers. They were asked to complete questionnaires regarding what social skills were most important for the future success of their students (Lane et al., 2004). The findings suggested that controlling temper with peers and getting along well with those that were different than themselves ranked in the top seven social skills that teachers deemed important. Poulou (2014) added that collaborative learning enabled more opportunities for students to learn both academically and socially what is expected in the classroom. These ideas correlated with earlier work completed by Walker and McConnell (1988). Their interpersonal social-behavioral competence model within the classroom portrayed significant effects on student behavior. In this model, social skills are rated within the context of peer and teacher preferred social behavior. Deficits within socially acceptable behavior were then identified and addressed. (Walker & McConnell, 1988) Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 13 The classroom social environment consists of student interactions among peers and educators (Patrick & Ryan, 2003). Savery and Duffy (1995) agreed with this idea and noted the importance for children to have many opportunities during the day to work together in collaboration activities. Burgeson (2017) suggested that when students group and discuss problems or scenarios, they learn to accept others feedback as well as contribute their ideas. Rawlings et al. (2017) also discussed the need to facilitate collaboration activities within the school day. Their focus was on preparing students for the future workforce by learning how to work well with other students within the classroom setting. Social interaction among peers can unleash educational curiosity (Engel, 2011). The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000) supported this idea that teachers should assist students to, “share their ideas and to seek clarification until they understand…this attitude encourages them to participate actively in trying to understand what they are asked to learn” (p. 271). Such brainstorming and sharing of thoughts and ideas among peers can facilitate a desire to dig deeper into concepts and ideas (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008). Engel further concluded that the need to be curious within academic inquiry is intrinsic to children. This desire is increased by social interaction within the classroom. Student learning and achievement increased when students were asked to interact with peers and exchange ideas during the learning process (Webb & Palincsar, 1996). Patrick and Ryan (2003) noted that the learning process is also increased by student participation in discussions, giving explanations, and defending reasoning. Wannarka and Ruhl (2008), found that social interaction within a semi-circle increased as students were able to ask more questions and facilitate conversation among their peers. The interaction became more group focused instead of teacher-centered models. Patrick and Ryan (2003) concluded that students felt greater Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 14 confidence regarding their workability when peer interaction was promoted. Peer review was both offered and accepted within this model. Opportunities for students to collaborate, interact, and move may be reduced by maintaining traditional seating arrangements in the classroom. Everston and Weinstein (2006) suggest management of the classroom is, “the actions teachers take to create an environment that supports and facilitates both academic and social-emotional learning” (p. 4). Parnell (2013) also identified the importance of creating a classroom environment for movement. Rawlings et al. (2017) combined both ideas with their research as they concluded the importance that students need to learn to work in groups and manage their education and movement. Most teachers grew up sitting in traditional row seating similar to a military approach. Today’s students, however, require differentiated learning environments to match the differentiation in learning styles. Traditional seating does not offer such differentiation (TesolClass, 2018). One of the teachers interviewed in the Pointon and Kershner (2000) study expressed the need for students to learn the power of individual choice in how they learn. The educator stressed the importance of teaching students how to control themselves. Children need to work where and how they work best (Gremmen et al., 2016). Pointon and Kershner (2000) further suggested that children need to be placed in learning environments that promote independence in education. Barrett et al. (2015) agreed that collaboration created a platform for students to share individual thoughts and ideas as well as other opinions within groups. The flexibility of choice appeared crucial for different students within each classroom in their study. Traditionally, classrooms have run on teacher decision-making ideals that create routine and flow for their students (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008). Pointon and Kershner (2000) researched three experienced teachers to see how classroom environments were managed to promote student Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 15 growth. This was a qualitative research project that took place at the end of an academic school year in three separate classrooms for children between the ages of 9 and 11 years old. Teachers were interviewed and asked questions regarding how they perceived their classroom environments. All three case studies concluded the importance of flexibility in the classroom. One teacher specifically noted the significance of letting students choose where to sit. Rawlings et al. (2017) agreed with these finding as they also researched the importance of student-centered cooperative groups. They found that classroom management and routine could be maintained within group work activities. The student workplace needs to be reshaped to promote student physical and social well-being (Burgeson, 2017). However, Gremmen et al. (2016) discovered that traditional classroom management has rarely focused on the physical design of the classroom. They found the focus had primarily been on behavior management and modification. Differences among students and their skills and competencies require choices within the classroom (de Vries et al., 2013). Pointon and Kershner (2000) also stressed the importance that students need an environment that differs from previous models to develop their ideas and express themselves. Flexible Solutions Children need many opportunities throughout the day to interact with one another and problem solve (Savery & Duffy, 1995). Flexible seating could be one avenue to assist students in understanding social dynamics and working through problems and scenarios in a semi-controlled area (Burgeson, 2017). Marlow (2009) found that young students were in the beginning stages of learning how to work together to solve problems. If allowed to sit together in less threatening environments, collaboration and friendship worked together. Gremmen et al. (2016) added that positive peer interactions can promote academic stimulation. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 16 Flexibility to change and awareness of what makes students successful in the classroom promote and increase student understanding (Barrett et al., 2015). Rawlings et al. (2017) added that when students moved around the room during learning they were able to gain perspective of things they have not noticed before. Increased positive relationships among peers, and increased learning energy may have been minimized beforehand. Denton (1992) previously studied this idea and noted that on-task behavior increased when there was student engagement. Carter (2017) added to this that traditional classrooms can be transformed into a more relaxed learning environment by altering the learning space. Wilson and Wilson (2000) focused on Aboriginal students and the significance of using circles in the seating arrangements to enhance cultural values. They discovered that culturally, the idea of letting students sit together in a circle in any area of the room promoted respect, care, and unity. Students within this study, including those not of the Aboriginal culture, viewed the talking circle with positivity. The students valued the openness of the circle and that it allowed collaboration and input from all in the group. The authors of this study concluded that the talking circle among the students could be transferred to various academic situations and seating arrangements. It is important to have variation in learning environments so that individual needs can be assessed and met (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008). Barrett et al. (2015) concluded that furniture and features in the classroom that were flexible and comfortable for the children significantly impacted the learning process. They discovered that a redesigned student workplace and classroom management through flexible seating could increase student collaboration and well-being by allowing student movement and choice. Students should be allowed to work together in a variety of environments to solve problems and tasks. Teachers who become facilitators of student-driven learning can give guided Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 17 resources, as well as ample flexibility in learning (Lei, 2010). Learning does not have to take place behind a desk. Students can sit in circles on the floor, sit at tables, or even stand in a group to work on academic assignments. (Lei, 2010) Burgeson (2017) added to this the importance of flexibility. He noted that various projects and assignments can be catered to all learning levels, thus it is important that classroom design mirror the same variety and scope. Dimitriadis et al. (2013) found in their study that students could collaborate on their laptops in a group on the floor in one area while another group sat at a table with paper-based learning materials. Laptops were also used at standing desks for students needing to stretch and move to maintain focus. Everston and Weinsten (2006) noted that peer relationships are an important piece of public education. All behaviors, whether positive or negative, can be reinforced by peer relationships and how educators facilitate those relationships. This data was reinforced by Gremmen et al. (2016) research. In their study, fifty teachers were assessed who taught students within grades 4-6. Interviews of teachers at the beginning of the study were compared to data from questionnaires after of the process. Seating arrangements were used to increase positive social functioning among students. Interpersonal contact between students due to a low physical distance can positively influence their social perceptions on each other. This is in-line with the intergroup contact theory and the contact hypothesis, which states that contact can effectively reduce negative peer perceptions and can increase liking among peers. (Gremmen et al., 2016, p. 752) Niemeyer (2003) found that socialization played a significant role among students within the classroom. van den Berg and Stoltz (2018) reinforced this idea when they concluded that social acceptance may be a byproduct in a flexible seating environment. Many students have Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 18 externalizing problems dealing with other children. The Gremmen et al. study (2016) previously validated this idea within their findings. As the traditional classroom was rearranged into a student-choice environment, students had a better opportunity for multiple interactions with several classmates within the same day. There was the opportunity to self-direct if social situations are not favorable. The van den Berg study (2018) agreed when they noted that children with less favorable behaviors had an increase in positive interactions with both classmates and teachers within a flexible learning environment. Summary Flexible seating may stimulate academic and social development among students in a classroom setting. (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008) Also, increased student movement may increase student focus within the school setting. (Mahar et al., 2006) New research is continuously being done on the role of seating and structure of classrooms for student academic and social success in education. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 19 PURPOSE The purpose of this project is to investigate flexible seating options for movement, socialization, and collaboration within the elementary school classroom. Traditionally, classrooms have been arranged with rows of desks to maintain routine and order. However, research has spread light on the need for a more flexible classroom environment (Van den Berg et al., 2012). Flexibility to change and awareness of what makes students successful in the classroom may promote and increase student learning. When students are allowed to move around the room during learning, they can gain perspective of things they have not noticed before, increase positive relationships among peers, and increase learning energy that may have minimized beforehand (Rawlings et al., 2017). This autoethnography intends to highlight the benefits and struggles of creating a flexible seating classroom for elementary learners by identifying the following questions: 1. How have flexible seating classroom management designs affected student learning within my elementary school classroom? 2. What are some of the challenges that students faced within my previous traditional classroom environment versus the change to a flexible seating classroom? 3. How do flexible seating options create a space for movement and function within my elementary classroom? 4. Why would positive social interactions and collaboration increase within my flexible seating classroom? Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 20 METHOD To address the purpose of this study, an autoethnography will be used to gather qualitative data regarding teacher perception of the routines and outcomes of a flexible seating classroom. Student movement, socialization, and collaboration will be explored through an autoethnography format. Recent trends in education and classroom design prompted me to explore how a flexible seating classroom would impact student learning and socialization. I also had a student in my classroom two years previous who struggled with sitting down throughout the day. I spent the year constantly reminding him to sit. At the end of our time together, I realized there had to be a better way to teach him and other students like him. Combining personal and cultural experience is the basis of autoethnography (Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2010). Therefore, an autoethnography seemed the perfect research tool to discover and explore this flexible design matrix. Through 18 months of teacher journal entries, accompanied by pictures, a broad scope can be seen of how flexible seating may impact both teachers and students. The qualitative research done in this autoethnography will have what Bochner and Ellis (2016) noted as a primary goal of giving meaning to the struggles, joys, and validity of flexible seating implementation within elementary classrooms. Procedures Autoethnography is a combination of ethnographies and autobiographies (Ellis et al., 2010). As I studied and analyzed the culture of my current classroom and elementary school, my goal was to understand the teaching shift from teacher-led to student-led education with the implementation of seating and learning options. Within this study, I completed an 18-month teacher journal. This enabled me to not only analyze my own experience but also experiences of Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 21 others directly affected by a flexible seating classroom. Ellis et al. (2010) described this study of personal and interpersonal experiences as a tool for identifying patterns within both individual and culture growth. Although this exact study could not be replicated, a personal reflection over such a long period is valuable as a qualitative research design. Individual perception may be questioned regarding validity. However, this qualitative research project is based on the personal experience of the participant. To evaluate various themes throughout this experience, NVivo was used to code and identify threads of interest throughout the experience. NVivo is a commonly used tool in qualitative data analysis. After uploading my teacher journal, open coding was used to organize basic themes seen within the classroom experience of flexible seating implementation. After an examination of common themes discussed throughout the journal, I was better able to understand how specific ideas assisted in answering my initial research questions. I focused on how throughout this experience, my journal broke down into individual categories that created the experience as a whole. After reviewing my journal entries through this qualitative method, I was able to create data that highlighted the various themes and individual ideas within the classroom setting. To continue this process, I then analyzed the data to focus on the three most common themes throughout the experience. This was done by tallying how many times certain themes were mentioned within the 18 months. As before mentioned, this was completed with the assistance of the computer program, NVivo. Ideas were then funneled down into specific themes that captured the essence of the experience. After the identification of the main themes throughout the journal, I was able to compare them to student challenges present before and after flexible seating implementation. Also, addressed was the analysis of whether or not movement, positive student Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 22 interaction, and collaboration increased within the classroom design. Ultimately, I discovered how a flexible seating classroom created a more student-led, student-focused learning experience. I began this grounded theory (Ellis et al., 2010) by first revisiting my initial research questions. I did not focus on any theme from the beginning but took the journal sentence by sentence through the NVivo program. I placed each idea into categories based on keywords within the sentence. Gradually, eleven ideas began to prevail throughout the journal. Broad flexible seating themes focused on: Need for Movement (53 references), Student Choice (48 references), Classroom Management (44 references), Student Collaboration (37 references), Student Socialization (19 references), Student Focus and Attention Struggles (17 references), Increased Noise (16 references), Increased Student Productivity (10 references), Colleague Responses (7 references), Traditional Struggles (7 references), and Decreased School Supply Usage (2 references). FINDINGS The memories of childhood and elementary school experiences are an important piece of our human experience. I can still visualize my elementary classrooms from first grade through sixth. Some years were more memorable than others. Through each year, I learned and progressed through the public education system. Every year I entered the first day of school to a classroom lined with rows of desks with a teacher desk front and center, ready to lead young minds through the curriculum. I recall only speaking when spoken to within the walls of the classroom. I have no memories of talking to my teachers regarding personal worries or concerns. ADHD was unheard of. The worst anxiety my friends and I had was who to sit by during lunch. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 23 Fast forward forty years. I found myself an educator in a Utah public school. My first year came with student information cards filled with urgent pleas from parents worried about their children’s anxiety and ADHD problems. I started each school year with extremely active students and low stamina for focus. With the incredible pressure of standardized testing already looming on students and myself, the year would begin rough. Several of my children, currently in the education system, have also struggled with anxiety and attention issues. My passion for finding a better way to teach came from both parenting and teaching experiences. I was ready and willing to try anything to make school a positive and better place to learn and grow for children. I needed to step aside from traditional classroom design, management, and authoritative teaching and give educational power back to my students. Through an 18-month teacher journal, I was able to have a bird’s eye view into transitioning a traditional teacher-led elementary classroom into a flexible, student-led workspace. I documented the good, the bad, and the frustrating aspects of releasing my traditional teacher-focused training. Themes were identified upon further analysis of the data by coding specific concepts relating to flexible seating. I was then able to reflect on the prominent ideas that emerged throughout the journal and begin to understand how flexible seating impacted both the students and myself as their teacher. I did not have any exposure to flexible seating classrooms before this experience. My first journal entry from March 3, 2017 states, “I have decided to start a journey into a flexible seating classroom. As a member of a Facebook 3rd grade group, I became intrigued into classrooms that were starting to use flexible seating arrangements in their design. I had a student the previous year that was always trying to stand up during work and teaching time.” That young student was my inspiration. A traditional desk and classroom management style was not working Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 24 for him. There were several like him that year. I was beginning to agree with Denton’s (1992) finding’s that my own teaching beliefs could have a profound influence on the management and student outcome of my classroom. Three Significant Themes Three main themes emerged through the NVivo coding of my journal. Student Choice, Classroom Management, and Student Movement seemed to dominate my research. Any text relevant to Student Choice (48 references), including Student Collaboration (37 references), Socialization (19 references), and Productivity (10 references) were categorized under this theme. Classroom Management (44 references) included all references for Increased Classroom Noise (16 references), Colleague Response (7 references), Traditional Seating Struggles (7 references), and Decreased Use of Classroom Supplies (2 references). Finally, Student Movement (53 references), including Student Focus and Attention Issues (17 references). With this extensive picture of my experience, I then took those same key components through a secondary coding to come up with the three most fundamental themes throughout the journals. The reoccurrence of ideas began to appear as I grouped the initial eleven subcategories into a more specific scope of reference. Ultimately, three key ideas began to emerge. These overarching themes were Student Choice; which included Collaboration, Socialization, and Student Productivity (references 114); Classroom Management; encompassing Increased Noise, Colleague Response, Traditional Seating Struggles, and Decreased School Supply Usage (76 references); and Need for Movement and Focus (70 references). These themes were then examined to form connections as to whether traditional classroom design previously impacted students, if flexible seating positively impacted student learning and finally, were there increased opportunities for movement, social interaction, and student collaboration. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 25 Student choice. The most prominent theme noted throughout the flexible seating journal was that of student choice. Through coding of data, key concepts of Choice and Student Options predominated the research. Any reference that involved student selection, student-led learning, or student space was also categorized under this theme. As an example, towards the beginning of the journal when I was accumulating items to create a flexible seating classroom a reference was made, “All of these purchases will hopefully add options for my students to work smarter and better” (March 20, 2017). That was my number one goal. If students were not going to be enriched through the process, then I was just spending money for aesthetic reasons. My shift from traditional classroom design to a student-led classroom needed to provide ample opportunities for the children to have choice and buy-in to their education. I was excited to give my students an opportunity for what Lei (2010) described as personal control within the classroom environment. Figure 1. Flexible Classroom reading area. September, 2017. Children work well when they have variety in their learning environment (Denton, 1992). In August of 2017, I was caught in a quandary of how to add more open space on the floor for students to work. Traditional desks took up a lot of the floor space within my classroom. I discovered that removing several desks freed up the room. “Through the years. I have watched my children play and interact together. Most of the time, they work on projects on the floor. I am Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 26 excited to give students the option of floor work” (August 14, 2017). Another journal entry on September 14, 2017, highlighted the excitement of the students for the open design, “My students LOVE the reading area flexibility. I don’t have a large space for this yet. However, the space I have set aside is being well used.” My students were very enthusiastic about being allowed to sit comfortably to read. There was motivation built into the class culture to complete assigned work so they could choose a spot in the reading area. Students, whatever the age, favor choice in learning. This agreed with Zhang and Deng’s (2004) previous research that noted students enjoy the choice of open learning spaces that have the feeling of an open lab experience Figure 2. Open space design created for student choice learning. February 20, 2018. Pointon and Kershner (2000) performed case studies on several educators regarding classroom design. One of the teachers expressed the need for students to learn the power of individual choice in how they learn. This coincides with my entry from October 5, 2017. “The students seem happier to have a say in where they sit when they are done with an assignment. A few remain at their table or desk, but most of them want to sit in the reading area with a pillow Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 27 and blanket to read.” At this point in the flexible seating journal, I had only one open floor space. That was the reading area. As more tables became available, I was able to slowly move out the desks and free up more area. I was willing to give my students as much opportunity as possible to choose where they sat during reading time. Children need to be taught to control themselves (Pointon & Kershner, 2000). On February 6, 2018, I noted, “I have found that relaxing on the floor in a circle takes the pressure off of being a perfect student and lets them have time to communicate and learn from each other.” Pointon and Kershner supported these findings when they stressed that children need to be placed in learning environments that promote independence in education. Student collaboration. Lev Vygotsky (1978) was a leading theorist in collaborative learning groups. He believed that children learn best from their surroundings. I have valued Vygotsky’s theories in my teaching style. His findings were reinforced with the entry from August 14, 2017, “I want students to be able to group wherever they choose to complete projects. Through the years, I have watched my children play and interact together.” I saw the benefits of collaboration repeated throughout the journal. On November 15, 2017 I noted, “I had a group of students working together on the floor with their lap desks and laptops on MobyMax. This is an interactive computer program that children like to discuss and share what they are doing with those around them. The kids were sitting close together and could interact while they did their math problems.” Social-emotional learning is a large piece of public education. How the environment is shaped can foster this important piece of learning for children (Vygotsky, 1978). The Gremmen et al. (2016) study from the Netherlands suggested that there should be a further inquiry regarding the role of teachers in managing student collaboration in the classroom. This study suggested that whether teachers like it or not, there are relationships constantly being Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 28 formed and broken in the classroom. My journal was beginning to reflect findings that I needed to work with students to become socially aware and accepting of others through guided collaboration. October 5, 2017, “Hopefully, extra space will allow for students to work together without dropping computers and library books. I am noticing sometimes children can lose patience with each other when other’s stuff gets into their personal workspace. Frustrated children don’t collaborate well.” Collaboration within an environment where students are allowed some choice in their learning space increases their understanding of social dynamics (Ediger, 2009). Student relationships and the collaboration between them can provide a context for academic stimulation (Gremmen et al., 2016). I observed how my young students were in the beginning stages of learning how to work together to solve problems. If allowed to sit together in a less threatening environment, collaboration and friendship could coincide. March 29, 2019, “The collaboration I see happening is great. I noticed today that a lot of my higher students are quick to help the strugglers when they get stuck. It is by choice and no obligation to interact with various students. They are not forced to sit by the same person all day long.” Marlow (2009) suggested that students need many opportunities throughout the day to work in cooperative learning situations. I had this idea in mind while transitioning my classroom from a traditional workspace to flexible seating. August 14, 2017, “I will need to keep minimal individual materials and have class supplies accessible to all students. I am excited to have my students share materials. Children need to learn the art of sharing and taking care of supplies. It is hard for all of us to share. Children especially need opportunities to practice this skill.” Months later, I began to see many instances throughout each day when students would help each other during their school day. December 11, 2017, “The children like to sit together on the rugs and Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 29 work with each other. I am not seeing a reduction in work productivity. What I am seeing is students helping students. It is fun to see collaboration in progress!” Socialization. Gremmen et al. (2016) noted that there are two different roles of teachers. One is to be a manager of social networks, the other is to be the scaffold in which students create their roles and peer relationships. I was creating a classroom where children were beginning to be more observant of others’ needs often more often than their own. I had one student that likes to sit on the same wobble stool in the same space every day. It is interesting to see how the other students have adapted to him. They know he likes to sit there and they leave it for him. It is great to see their compassion for his need for routine. Today I had a female student who absentmindedly sat in his spot after recess. Immediately several students spoke up on his behalf. The female students moved without making a deal of it. It was a touching situation to witness. (November 26, 2018) Figure 3. Wobble stools created options for students who needed continual movement. Peer relationships highly influence individual positive and negative behaviors in the classroom (as cited in Gremmen et al., 2016). This was evident on many occasions within my classroom. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 30 February 20, 2019 “The kids love to sit by each other while they read. For the most part, they stay focused on their books while there.” I noticed many times that students would remind each other often to be quiet and read so they could continue to sit by each other. Teachers play a significant role in managing social dynamics within the walls of the classroom (Gremmen et al., 2016). I often felt like the maestro of a children’s orchestra. There were times within my school day when some of my less social children were not as happy with the classroom layout. I would sometimes find myself trying to balance student interactions. December 14, 2017, “My struggle is the dilemma of letting him work in isolation or pushing him to learn to work with others. I need to create a workspace that he can move to when the social aspect of the classroom becomes too much for him to handle. After months of observing and trial and error, I came up with a solution for my less social children. August 8, 2018, “I want(ed) to make a space available for students that need a quieter area to work. I have faced the table towards the window with a Himalayan salt lamp, a “No Talking Zone” sign, and a noise canceling fan.” I also purchased noise canceling headphones. This area was designated for students that needed quiet time away from other students. It has been a tremendous help for many of my students in the past year that needed a place center themselves before they rejoined a group of students. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 31 Figure 4. Quiet zone created for students with sensory needs. Productivity. One interesting finding was the visibility of student productivity. I was surprised to see ten references to this theme. On January 4, 2018, I stated, “Our school had a lot of clipboards that I was happy to collect…I am hoping these will give an extra amount of freedom of table space…with the clipboards, the children can move and work at the same time.” It was refreshing to see this different kind of learning environment. That same entry went on, “Children are moving and learning. Yes! Both of those words can happen simultaneously!” This correlated to Webb and Palincsar’s (1996) previous findings of improvements to student learning when combined with peer interaction. November 26, 2018, also pointed to an increase of work productivity within the classroom, “No one was crowded into a specific workspace. Students that needed to work alone, worked alone. My social students worked together.” This was in line with an interesting observance noted by Parnell (2013), “The funny thing about self-regulation is that it gets better with practice and it doesn’t get any better if you don’t practice it” (Pg. 26.) Today was a good day. Not perfect by any means. After all, we are dealing with children. During independent work time, I spent time observing various students at work. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 32 I observed students all over my classroom. My table sitters were working hard. My floor workers were laying on their tummies with clipboards trying to solve math problems together. Two girls were standing by a table talking about their math...along with other things! (January 16, 2019) One month later, I noted productivity taking place even during independent reading times. February 11, 2019, “Some are under tables while others are curled up with blankets on bean bags. Wherever they choose, they are all following along with me and enjoying a great book.” I was beginning to realize that students that got to choose their space and reading material were turning into avid readers. One obstacle that I encountered dealing with productivity was during standardized testing time. I was unsure of how to proceed with this in a flexible seating classroom. On April 10, 2018, it stated, “I have been a bit worried how this would go in a flexible seating classroom. I belong to a Flexible Seating Facebook group and the conversation of flexible seating testing has come up often. The majority of teachers test the way they teach, with students sitting or standing where they will do their best.” I read a lot of different posts of teachers in various schools. Ultimately, I decided that I would continue with student-choice. I did not feel it was in their best interest to move back to a row/desk classroom only for testing. The children were working and happy with our student choice environment. I was willing to give students seating flexibility to be their best academically. Marlow (2009) discussed the importance of helping students in both academic and social aspects of their education. In his findings, he noted, “Thus a person may have high subject matter knowledge, but get along very poorly with others” (Marlow, 2009 pg. 3). I agreed with this as I began to see the importance of standardized testing being combined with personal choice and human connection. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 33 One of my initial concerns with flexible seating was testing. How could I make sure that every student had space and flexibility to do their personal best on exams? As I put assessments out this morning for Language Arts, I realized how easy it was to incorporate both into my classroom. My students know that when they come into the classroom for an assessment, they move to a test. The test does not move until it is complete. The students know the rules and they follow them. I did not have a single problem this morning. When they were done with their test, they turn them into me and head back to my reading center or back to where they were and read a good book. It is slick and painless. I don’t have to worry about large, bulky privacy stations. (January 4, 2019) Figure 5. Tests set out so students could choose the best seating option. I had created a test management technique that when students entered the classroom for assessments, tests were placed strategically around the room so there was space around each student. Classroom management. Another prominent theme that became apparent through NVivo coding was the shift in my teaching and classroom management style. There was a Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 34 transfer happening from a teacher-led to a student-led classroom. December 14, 2017, “I am learning to let go of being in complete control at all times. I have only ever seen traditional classrooms where the teacher lectures and students listen and work. A one to one technology-driven classroom needs to have more collaboration space and less teacher-focused space. I am seeing my students working more together as they move around the room.” I was slowly beginning to realize that if I focused only on the differentiation of curriculum and not on the environment, then I was missing a valuable piece of the academic puzzle. Classroom environment and classroom management often became synonymous throughout my transition. “Classroom management is the key to learning” (Rawlings, et al., 2017 pg. 398). I am beginning to understand that it is so much more than just seating that has become flexible with me. I am learning to let go of the traditional teacher role and be flexible in many other areas as well. Wherever learning takes us is where we go. If we are studying a concept in our literature books, I am now so quick to pull up a picture of the concept and discuss it. The rigid schedule has shifted to a continual flow of learning. We often stop, move, or discuss. It is a wonderful flexible classroom!!! (January 14, 2019) The completion of tasks under specific guidelines is the underlying cause of good classroom management (Rawlings et al., 2017). On November 7, 2018, I began to notice students moving seating options around to different areas: I am noticing that students are gradually bringing over yoga balls, floor cushions, and lap desks during direct instruction on the rug. It is interesting because I did not give any of these suggestions. They are simply finding what works for them and bringing it over. At first, I was a little annoyed that they would mess with my rug direct teaching. I had originally planned only the bench for a few students with special needs. My mind had Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 35 painted a picture of a perfect scene of 27 little bodies all facing forward and listening diligently while I droned on about math. However, I now realize that they are doing exactly what I want them to do! They are reading their bodies and learning styles and acting accordingly! It is about giving up some of my control and letting them govern themselves. If my number one goal was to promote learning, then I had to give up my ideas of what learning looked like for students. The children were working, just not in the spaces I had created for them. Sometimes allowing children the freedom of educational ownership was the hardest piece of classroom management. Gremmen et al. (2006) agreed with this as they noted that teacher’s philosophy directly impacted their decisions regarding classroom management. Figure 6. The students created flexible seating options. The atmosphere can help students predict what will happen next (Pointon & Kershner, 1998). It was soon apparent that the most important piece of classroom management of a flexible seating classroom was organization. The year previous to my classroom transition, I had begun Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 36 to notice all of the time I was spending redirecting distracted learners. August 2, 2017, “I noticed a lot of my students last year getting into their desks during direct instruction and losing papers.” I knew I needed to free up distractions for true learning to take place. January 3, 2019, “I remember my first two years of teaching. I spent so much of my teaching time taking away classroom tools and disciplining students for playing with things in their desks. There is nothing to play with now…they have no distractions!” However, I needed to do it in a way that children had clear guidelines as to expectations. After reading several blogs and online resources, I came up with a list of classroom rules: Figure 7. Initial rules created for my flexible seating classroom. August 2017. This list worked well at first. However, I still found myself redirecting students that would not stay put to finish a task. May 14, 2018 “Student movement is still a big problem. There are a select few who can’t seem to stay in the same space for very long. I need to find a solution. I have one particular student that can’t seem to find a spot that will work until the end of the assignment. It can be distracting to others to constantly see the movement.” This problematic Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 37 behavior June 2, 2018, “However, my two biggest issues are the noise level for children that can’t handle it and the constant seat movers.” By the end of the school year, I was ready to find solutions for my classroom management problems. On August 22, 2018, I created modifications to class rules and expectations. “I have added that students need to sit until the job is done. I had a lot of problems with wandering students last year.” Figure 8. Modified flexible seating classroom rules. August 2018. The new and improved flexible seating guidelines have remained throughout the rest of the year. I am quick to readdress rules if there is a lack of compliance among the students. February 18, 2019 “I had to ask myself if I do have to manage behavior more. Honestly, at first, I did. Every day seems to get easier and easier in this area. The first few weeks of the school year require a lot of teaching and reteaching of procedures.” Near the conclusion of my journal entries, my thoughts summed up perfectly the need for clear classroom management in a flexible seating classroom. “However, students need to realize that choice in learning does not mean out of control classroom” (March 26, 2019). Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 38 Increased classroom noise. One disadvantage to a flexible seating classroom seemed to come in the area of sound. To minimize the conversation buzz, I would play music in the background during independent work time. November 15, 2017, “The classroom was busy but at full functioning capacity. I keep classical music constantly playing throughout the day to help cover some of the conversations. December 11, 2017, “There was a lot more noise today. I have one student that can’t handle background noise very well. He is very introverted and prefers to work alone and sit alone. I will need to find a way to help him succeed in this type of seating arrangement.” During the two different school years that the journal was being kept, I had two separate students that struggled with the sounds of collaboration. After much thought, I created a space in my classroom for children that needed a sensory break. This was addressed in the socialization portion of my findings when I created the “No Talking Zone” workspace. See Figure 4. One tool used within my flexible seating classroom to assist in noise control for my high sensory learners was that of soundproof headphones. September 10, 2018, “I think the students are beginning to identify where they work best. The noise eliminating headphones are amazing. Just like every year, I have a couple of students that already need a quieter environment to work. It has been great to see all of the use out of these. One particular student likes to sit by other students, but just can’t handle the noise.” This student liked to be by others, but any conversation around her quickly distracted her learning. The headphones allowed her to have the tools she needed to succeed. February 7, 2019 “I have noticed lately that she has been proactive and getting the headphones and wearing them when she feels it is too loud for her. I showed her where they were at the beginning of the year and now she takes care of herself. I like that I am creating independent learners that are figuring out for themselves what is best for them.” Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 39 Figure 9. Noise eliminating headphones facilitated greater student independence. Colleague response to classroom management. My change in teaching style initially caused quite a stir within my school. I was not teaching the way my colleagues were teaching on my grade-level team. This created a teaching wall between myself and one particular veteran teacher on my team. October 5, 2017, “I have a couple of teachers on my team that think I am off my rocker. One teacher even asked me if I am completely losing control of my classroom.” Interestingly enough, by April of 2019, three of my four colleagues had transitioned to full flexible seating classrooms. However, there is still the one that has a lot of resentment towards my flexible teaching style. March 13, 2018, “Wow. Some teachers do not like to see a change in education. I had a veteran teacher come into my classroom today and express in a negative tone that it didn’t look like a classroom at all. My initial response was to feel offended until I realized…that was a compliment! Why does a classroom need to have rows of desks and chairs for learning to take place?” Flexible seating resentment was the most surprising finding throughout this study. Wannarka and Ruhl (2008) stressed in their research the importance of Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 40 teachers making informed decisions regarding classroom arrangement. Whether or not my colleagues agreed with my informed decisions was an obstacle I had not foreseen would come. Interestingly enough, my ideas began to catch a fever of their own among other teachers around my school. October 11, 2018, “However, my crazy is beginning to catch on! As of yesterday, when I took a tour of my school, there are now five more classrooms that are converting over.” January 22, 2019 “The contagious nature of flexible seating. I had a fourth-grade teacher who came into my classroom so frustrated today. She is a veteran teacher in her 20th year as an educator. She expressed her frustration with the noise, lack of respect, and ambition she has noticed this year more than any other in the past.” I knew she had several of my students from the previous year. As I gave her some ideas of how I had helped those students succeed, the flexible seating idea began to grow within her thoughts. Continuing with the same journal entry from January 22, 2019, I proceeded, “This is the eighth teacher this year that has come to pick my brain on flexible seating. She was going to go home and think through some of the ideas and options that I gave her.” Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 41 Figure 10. A flexible design created for collaboration and movement. Traditional seating options. I had some students within the 18 months that preferred traditional desk seating arrangements. At the end of one particular day, I was enthusiastically discussing with my students that I had received a grant to add bar stools and bean bags to the classroom: A little lady raised her hand and asked if she could have a regular desk back. I was a bit taken back but tried not to show it. I asked if anyone else felt the need for their own desk. Two more raised their hand. I felt a little defeated but told them I would have three desks put in the classroom by Monday. It is a lunch break. I spent the morning wondering what I am doing. Three students wanted a desk back. Does this mean that flexible seating is not the answer? Finally, it hit me hard. My three students are realizing that they sit better and work better in a traditional desk. Isn’t that what I wanted?! If my main focus is choice, then I need to allow traditional choice. (November 10, 2018) Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 42 My interpretation of flexible seating up until this day had been anything but a desk. Now, it was any seating arrangement chosen to work best for individual student need. October 25, 2018, “Some children need the constant movement of yoga balls. Other students will only sit at the tables or the desk. Those students need the consistency and routine that traditional seating offers. It is working! Wherever they land, working and learning are happening.” Substitute struggles. Although only referenced twice through coding, the impact of flexible seating on substitute teachers needed to be addressed in the findings. I put this under classroom management because ultimately, it comes down to organization and good management design. My first attempt at having a substitute went very wrong after I transitioned to flexible seating. September 24, 2018, “Today was a substitute day for the first time with flexible seating. I need to learn from my mistakes today… She expressed that the children were all over and no one could focus on what she was saying. I had not put in the plan to have all of the students meet on the rug for the direct instruction part. Total fail on me.” When I came back to school and saw my classroom a mess and an unhappy substitute report, I was very discouraged. When I was there, the students acted accordingly. However, all the rules had disappeared while I was away. This gave me a chance to rework my sub plans for the next time I needed to be gone. I needed to create clear expectations for both the substitute and the students during my absence. The first experience invited a teaching moment to help my students see what a flexible classroom should look like, whether I am there or not. Five months later, I was ready to try the experience again. When I came into the classroom at noon, I had a happy sub AND happy students. Everything worked well. Such a difference from my December sub! More than anything, Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 43 I am realizing that flexible seating will only work if the teacher is organized. It can turn into chaos very quickly if rules and procedures are not established. I made it very clear to the sub that students who do not follow the seating rules need to sit at a table the entire time. My students love their options so none of them dared to misbehave! It was a winning day for me! (February 4, 2019). Figure 11. Substitute feedback within a flexible seating classroom. Fewer school supplies. Although this idea had minimal references, I was surprised to see the reoccurrence of this theme within the journal. I am currently in my fourth year of teaching. In my first year of teaching in Utah, I discovered that the school provided all school supplies for students. In the spring, teachers order supplies for the upcoming school year. In 2017, my total classroom expenses were $539.62. In 2018, my total was $396.53. I placed my 2019 order recently and my total came to $275.12. November 26, 2018 “I have placed classroom supplies in Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 44 bins around the room. If you need it, you use it, then you put it back. One huge benefit from a flexible seating classroom is that I do not go through as many supplies. Glue sticks, pencils, crayons, etc., are all taken care of better. It is the positive peer pressure to take care of what belongs to everyone.” I cannot believe how few school supplies I use with flexible seating. The students know they need to share supplies so they take care of them. When I had desks, I would find piles of half-used pencils and broken crayons collected in the back. As I inventoried my supplies, I have gone through half the amount of pencils I usually go through up to this point in the year. I have not had to resupply any crayon boxes either (I have 3 boxes of crayons on the other side of the green bin). Three years ago, I had a big problem with glue sticks drying up because students left the lids off. Now, there are many eyes on my supplies. Students are great to help remind each other or simply clean up if someone forgets. It feels good to know that I am saving money for our district. (December 13, 2018) Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 45 Figure 12. Community supply bins are set at various stations around the classroom. Movement and student focus. The importance of movement for students within the elementary school was also depicted through the NVivo coding. Parnell (2013) noted that sitting and school has gone hand in hand historically in regard to public education. She stressed the importance of giving children the chance to learn self-regulation through movement during their school day. At the beginning of the classroom transformation, my classroom was a mix of bulky student desks pushed together and odd sized tables. August 28, 2017, “There is not much room to move around. One of my main goals during this process was to get more movement throughout the day. I feel a little cramped…I am assuming the children feel it also. The tops of their desks are feeling cluttered to me. I need to find a solution to this problem.” By August of the next year, I had secured enough matching tables to free up more space for movement. This changed the entire look and feel in the room. I now had a large open space for students to move and spread out. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 46 Figure 13. Large, open spaces create room for movement and collaboration. Students who experience long increments of instruction without breaks experience more restlessness and reduced concentration (Mahar, et al., 2006). I had witnessed this lack of concentration several times throughout my teaching career. I was determined to make space for movement. December 8, 2017, “It adds more space in the room for movement. Children need space to move. I like to get them up and moving for brain breaks and crazy songs. Now we have room. It wakes the kids up and keeps them going through long tasks.” This agreed with findings from Parnell (2013) in which she noted when teachers become freer with their movements, students followed their example. I was a believer that learning did not always have to take place behind a desk. Students can sit in circles on the floor, sit at tables, or even stand in a group to work on this type of academic assignment. The key would need to be flexibility (Ediger, 2009). Having a large open space is so wonderful! I got out the rhythm sticks today and we had plenty of floor space to learn the song, “Sarasponda”. No one was bumping into each other or dropping them on their desks or tables. It was nice to be able to use classroom Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 47 space to its fullest capacity. I am looking forward to brain breaks in the future where we do not have to move desks and can dance the “Hokey Pokey” or any other kind of crazy song together and feel like a team. So fun! I love to see the smiles on the students’ faces when we interact. (August 29, 2018) Children love to move. Anyone who has spent time in education knows this by experience. I knew that adding movement into my daily routine would help my students who needed focus and brain breaks. Wow! It is the day before a holiday break! My students are very fidgety and squirmy. It was a tough day to keep them focused. At lunch, I decided to embrace the movement. I put up multiplication signs around the classroom and used clipboards for them to walk around and solve multiplication problems alone or with a buddy. The extra room was a great help for them to move around. (November 20, 2018) There were many times noted throughout my journal that authentic learning experiences were able to take place because of the space provided by a flexible seating classroom. I found an experiment online to make floating orbs. My students and I worked together to keep our orbs afloat as we walked around the classroom with our pipes and tinsel. There is no way this experiment would have been successful in a regular chair and desk classroom. We were free to move and explore. (January 24, 2019) Room to explore! One of the many reasons I have embraced flexible seating is the room it gives me in my classroom. Right now we are studying fractions. I saw this cute hopscotch on line and wanted to replicate it in my classroom. I did not have to move clunky desks around. I have many open spaces available to work with. This activity has Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 48 added an extra element of movement to my classroom. Most children can’t resist doing the hopscotch on their way to and from the computer cart. (February 2, 2019) Figure 14. Open floor space created room for education and movement to combine. Student focus. Initially, I had a concern that the options for movement would be a distraction from the curriculum. However, it soon became apparent that my students were drawn to what worked for them and their movement needs. November 15, 2017, “I also had several yoga balls donated to the class. I have been surprised to see that the novelty of the yoga balls only lasted a few days. The only students that choose them now are the ones that seem to need the movement.” March 20, 2017, “These kids just needed the flexibility to stand when their legs told them to.” Sensory activities can have a positive impact on student behavior and assessment results (Burgeson, 2017). February 6, 2018, “Today I witnessed a small group sitting on yoga balls in the corner bouncing away while they read their Ground Hog stories to each other. All four of them were engaged and listening even during their movement. It was awesome!” On many occasions, I took cues from students as to what items to put in my classroom for specific student movement needs. August 23, 2017 “The standing desk is a dedication to my Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 49 sweet student from last year that stood where he worked best! There are so many children like him. It is amazing to watch some children seem to be in constant motion as they work or try to focus throughout the day.” The following year, I had a student in my class with bone cancer. He required constant movement to alleviate some of his discomforts. My student that has bone cancer would never make it in a desk and regular chair all day. He has chronic pain and requires movement constantly.” “His doctor showed him some exercises to do throughout the day to strengthen his leg muscles. I watched him one morning placing my floor pillows in a pattern and quietly stepping over them, pulling his knees up each step. Not one student stopped to stare or comment. He was doing what he needed to do and so was everyone else. (October 30, 2019) Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 50 Figure 15. Various movement options are available within my classroom. Academic engagement can be influenced by seating arrangements (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008). March 11, 2019, “It is not so much the rocker chair or yoga ball as it is the level of engagement of the student. Some of my kids would perform just as well at a desk as on the floor. But for the students that need it, a flexible classroom has become their game changer.” However, some days may have been easier as an educator if only traditional seating had been offered. Today was a tough one. My students were hyper and already in spring break mode. I had students on yoga balls that would have launched into space if I had not intervened. By the end of the day, I shut down the class and made them work independently at tables until the bell rang. In retrospect, I like that I still have enough table space to pull in the reigns if I need to. I don’t like it when my mean teacher voice has to come out. (March 26, 2019) Each day brought on a combination of flexible seating successes and struggles. Student focus and behavior are intertwined within a classroom setting (Burgeson, 2017). It was a difficult Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 51 balancing act throughout the experience to help students that needed movement and collaboration with students that needed low sensory input and surroundings. Research question one regarding how flexible seating classroom management designs have affected student learning within my elementary school classroom was apparent throughout the journal. Flexible seating helped me realize that I needed to meet student academic, social, and physical needs simultaneously. “The flexibility of the classroom extends to recognizing the need to take the activity into account, rather than adhering all the time to a predetermined layout” (Pointon & Kershner, 1998). The Gremmen et al. (2016) study agreed with this finding in their studies of student-choice classrooms. They discovered that as the traditional classroom was rearranged into a student-choice environment, students were having better opportunities for multiple interactions with several classmates through movement and discussion. I came to very similar conclusions within my journal entries. January 24, 2019, “It is so much more than a wobble stool. I teach differently. The kids are learning differently. It feels like school has turned into a time for discovery and individual development more than a lecture series. We move. We talk together on the floor. We learn. It is so different than how I learned growing up.” My class was full of movement and sound. I had shifted from a traditional teacher-led classroom to a student-led environment. Research question two, what are some of the challenges that students faced within my previous traditional classroom environment versus the change to a flexible seating classroom were discussed primarily towards the beginning of my journaling experience. I have decided to start a journey into a flexible seating classroom. As a member of a Facebook 3rd grade group, I became intrigued this summer into classrooms that were starting to utilize flexible arrangements in their design. I had a student during the Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 52 previous school year that was always trying to stand up. I spent the first few months of school constantly asking him to stay in his seat. The poor kid could not hold still for more than a few minutes. I began to notice how many of my students were not able to hold still and focus at the same time. I seemed to spend so much of my time redirecting and becoming frustrated with normal child behavior. I regret that decision! After researching some articles on flexible seating classrooms over the Christmas break, I decided to give up some of my power as the chair dictator and let that student as well as any others that needed to stand at their desks when they needed to for work. I was amazed at how much more work was getting accomplished. These kids just needed the flexibility to stand when their legs told them to. (March 20, 2017) I wanted to see if there was a better way to teach and run a classroom rather than the way I was observing among my colleagues. I did not like the lack of space for movement and social learning experiences. My traditional classroom arrangement was significantly reducing movement opportunities. This was similar to findings noted by Pellegrina and Smith (1998) when they concluded that reduced opportunities for movement were a direct result of traditional classrooms. Research question three, how did flexible seating options create a space for movement and function within my elementary classroom was discussed in detail throughout the journal entries. There is an impact on human health and well-being that comes from the physical space around you (Barrett et al., 2015). On March 4, 2019, I reflected on a previous activity from the week before: Last week was Read Across America Week. We celebrated reading throughout the time together. It was a great success to see my students all over the room reading great Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 53 literature. We had a Read-A-Thon on Friday for one hour. Students made forts under tables and beds all over the floor. I even joined the fun with my feet up and enjoyed a great book. My classroom feels like home to me. I love that we are relaxed and learning at the same time. Education and anxiety do not have to go hand in hand. I am not a person that can sit in one place for very long without fatigue setting in. After participating in many teacher workshops, I have noticed this is the same regarding most teachers. However, traditional classrooms often focus on staying in the same seating position for long periods. Parnell (2013) solidified this idea, “What if we threw that orthodoxy out the window? What if classrooms weren’t all about sitting?” (pg. 26). Finally, research question four, why would positive social interactions and collaboration increase within my flexible seating classroom was referenced from beginning to completion of my teacher journal. With the fluid movement and seating within the classroom, children had ample opportunities to work with many different children throughout their day. February 6, 2018, “I am seeing time to work together paying off in my students. The quiet ones are put in smaller group projects and have to use their voice, while the more social students can still lead out but see the eyes and needs of the other students in their group.” This was an important revelation for me to witness. Because students were not designated specific work areas, they never stayed with the same group from one assignment to the next. November 2, 2019, “Most had finished the math assignment and were busy on the computer. There were groups of students working in the same area and seating and children working independently with noise canceling headphones in place.” What was also interesting to observe was that children who would have normally never talked with one another were becoming friends within the classroom. This Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 54 coincided with findings from Savory and Duffy (1995) and their research on the importance of multiple collaboration opportunities for children throughout their school day. Figure 16. Room to read, learn together, and grow. Conclusions As a tool for documenting and analyzing my own experiences, I used the qualitative method of personal journal reflections. Although this type of research is biased by nature, it was the perfect avenue for me to display my thoughts and actions throughout my experience in the classroom. Wannarka and Ruhl (2008) discussed that there is a lack of agreement as to what the best arrangements are for classrooms. However, as an educator, I realized through this experience that I could identify the best arrangements for my specific students. March 11, 2019, “It’s not the seating that should be emphasized in my classroom. It is learning. My students all need to learn differently.” Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 55 What my classroom will look like each year may or may not change. “There is no perfect classroom physical design to accommodate all types of academic activities” (Lei, 2010 Pg.128). My final entry on April 2, 2019, from the teacher journal summed up my research. I love this journey that I have been on. This journal could continue throughout my teaching career to see the evolution of my flexible classroom. However, I realize there will never truly be an end. That is the key to a flexible seating classroom. It will always be a fluid environment that will change as my students’ needs and concerns change. At the end of each school day, I hope to be able to look back and always know that I truly did what was be for my students. Whether that be a giving them a new place to sit, or letting them ride bike peddles to keep their minds focused. I am a flexible teacher. Flexible seating is a much broader concept than simply sitting on a specific type of chair or cushion. It is flexibility in teaching, pedagogy, and classroom management. As I reflect and complete this project, I am assured that I could never see myself teaching in a traditional student desk classroom again. I have become completely flexible. Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING 56 Figure 17. Various seating arrangements within the classroom. Limitations and Recommendations Bias is an obvious limitation within the autoethnography research project. Because I was the sole author of the teacher journal, human error may be present within some of the data. Although the journal was completed three months previous and left untouched, it was still my words and ideas that were the focus of this research. I wanted this to be about my experience of transitioning my classroom. However, in leaving it with only my perspective, it does not give a voice to other teachers’ experiences. Recommendations for further qualitative research could include further teacher journals for comparisons of experiences. Also, interviews of teachers, administrators, parents, and students could be used to create a broader view of the impact of flexible seating among elementary age children. 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