I wrote my questions strategically, with the hopes of obtaining productive feedback, knowing full well that not everyone is in LOVE with flexible seating the way I am. I got TONS of great feedback and I am so thankful that my families were comfortable enough to be honest with me (yes, it was anonymous haha.. but still!). Most surveyed were overwhelmingly positive, and a few were not. You can't win them all, but you listen to what they say and try to find a take away from it!
I wanted to share a few of the responses that I received:
- " I was skeptical about flexible seating; however, it seemed to work. Empowering children is a great way to create a better learning environment."
- " I think my child has found her way in knowing what she needs in order to learn."
- " I am a true believer in it now. BLANK's passion for learning seems to thrive in this environment."
- " I was apprehensive, but excited for them to try something new. I thought it would have been slightly distracting for them, but I was definitely proven wrong."
- " I wasn't sure how beneficial it would be. Now I know it is. My daughter loves your class."
- "They feel more at home in the classroom."
- "It made my son's fidgeting less noticeable to his classmates, which made him more comfortable."
- "It shows a child how to be independent."
That's the thing about flexible seating. From an outsider's POV it is just a choice of seats, but in reality it is so much more than that! To steal some key words from my amazing families it is about EMPOWERING students to make their own choice for what they NEED in order to FOCUS and LEARN more. Upon reading over the responses, I noticed that most of them did not focus on the actual SEATING itself, but what the child LEARNED from having the experiences around it in the classroom.
THAT is what flexible seating is all about. The comfort and movement opportunities it provides is all an added BONUS!