A sixth grade teacher at Brandywine Elementary is using flexible seating in her
classroom so students can have the freedom to choose how they work best.
Alli Ulrickson implemented flexible seating in her elementary classroom this year so that
her students feel more comfortable in the classroom, have autonomy throughout the
day and have a sense of community with their classmates.
“The more choice they have, the better decisions they’re making,” Ulrickson said. “An
uncomfortable student is a distracted student and the goal with flexible seating is for
each student to be seated where they’re most comfortable and where they feel the most
productive.”
She finds that her students are better behaved in her classroom because of the freedom
they have to choose how they work. Ulrickson has eight desks in her room because she
knows that some students learn better at a desk, but she also has a futon, a coffee table,
portable floor seats, and a picnic table. She reached out to a fellow Brandywine graduate
who owns a local business to sponsor her classroom.
Ulrickson adds that her students created rules at the beginning of the school year so
that the flexible seating arrangements go smoothly. Rules the students decided on
include students picking a new seat each day and no fighting over spots. When conflicts
arise regarding seating, Ulrickson said she lets the students resolve their own issues.
“When there’s an issue over seats and things like that, I leave it up to them and they
know that if the conflict takes more than a couple of minutes, they’re both out of a seat,”
Ulrickson said.
The innovation of Ulrickson has made her classroom popular among the upcoming
classes. She said many fifth-graders are hopeful they are placed in her class in sixth
grade after hearing about the flexible seating arrangements.
“I’m very pleased that Mrs. Ulrickson is stepping away from traditional classroom structures and implementing flexible seating in her classroom, of which the students are the beneficiaries. Flexible seating is proven to increase oxygen flow to the brain, and also increases overall blood flow and core strength, in turn better engaging our students. This is another great example of how Brandywine Community Schools and its staff Engage, Educate, and Empower tomorrow’s global citizens,” said Superintendent Travis Walker.
Contributed by Brandywine Community Schools
