Episode 31: Seat Yourself: How Flexible Seating Can Be Successful In the Classroom with Nicki Dingraudo
Summary: A simple search on Pinterest or a scroll through an educator’s Instagram feed clearly demonstrates that flexible seating continues to be all the rage in classrooms across the United States. But beyond the envy-worthy images, does flexible seating truly work for teachers and students? Can it work for all age groups? Do students (and teachers) actually benefit from this new arrangement? How do teachers get started giving students the choice of where to sit? In today’s episode, Danielle and Nicole welcome Nicki Dingraudo of the SprinkleToppedTeacher, the second grade teacher behind the 20 Minute Sub Plan, back to the show to share her expertise in terms of flexible seating. Nicki’s background in Special Education and Physical Education initially intrigued her to look into flexible seating, and before long, Nicki was learning all she could about the topic in order to propose this seating arrangement for her own classroom. Nicki shares the ins-and-outs of flexible seating, from the logistics of finding different seating options for students to setting up rules to make these choices work on a daily basis for the students in your classroom. Nicki clears up the common myths and misconceptions around flexible seating, explaining how students and parents have reacted to this set up in her own classroom. After hearing about how beneficial flexible seating has been with regards to teaching soft skills like responsibility and sharing and discovering just how inexpensive it can be to get started, you’ll want to implement flexible seating in your own classroom, no matter what grade or subject you teach. Be sure to check out Nicki’s blog post which takes you on a behind-the-scenes look at her classroom so you can get a sense of how it works-- and what it really costs. In addition to being an inspiring classroom tour, Nicki also has some additional takeaways and pointers to help you make flexible seating a reality in your own school. What you’ll hear in this episode: -Common objections to flexible seating-- and why those points might not be so valid -How classroom procedures and modeling strategies help make flexible seating work (even for young students) -When is the “right” time in the school year to start with flexible seating -How being creativity can help you create amazing flexible seating options-- for under $50! -How parents respond to flexible seating when first seeing it during a Back-to-School Night Links: Nicki’s first time on the show! Episode 17: How To Make a Solid Sub Plan in 20 Minutes or Less https://www.edverything.com/podcast/2019/sub-plans-in-20-min-or-less Spark https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/B001GAUS6E Nicki’s website: http://www.thesprinkletoppedteacher.com Nicki’s Blog: http://www.thesprinkletoppedteacher.com/2019/05/flexible-seating-ideas-for-classroom.html?m=1
