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It鈥檚 my hope and dream to make my fourth grade classroom look and feel more like a welcoming 鈥淐offee Shop for Kids鈥 than a classroom. In the education world, we call this a 鈥淔lexible Classroom.鈥 Just like a coffee shop, students have choice in what type of seating they'd like to work in. I鈥檓 certain the choice to have comfy couch and chair will make learning more fun and students will feel more ownership over their classroom. This is a project that will benefit not only this year鈥檚 students, but students for years to come! When one enters a coffee shop there is no one that tells you where you have to sit. If you need to move or want to try out a different spot you can do so. Traditional chairs and desks still make up most of my classroom environment and with twenty-four or more nine and ten year olds, it can get crowded. According to edutopia.org, 鈥淔lexible classrooms give students a choice in what kind of learning space works best for them, and helps them to work collaboratively, communicate, and engage in critical thinking.鈥 In addition, since implementing flexible classrooms, schools notice that students' grades often improve, students seem happier and more engaged, and students are participating more and having more invigorating conversations. When I asked my students what they would like to have more of in our classroom, the response wasn鈥檛 more technology but more 鈥渇un鈥 areas to sit or stand. My favorite comment was, 鈥淲e learn so much better when we feel cozy.鈥 A classroom couch and chair would be the perfect way to incorporate this into my classroom.
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