Flexible seating gets good grades

Most students prefer the new flexible seating located in sixth grade Language Arts classrooms at Patrick M. Villano School. Flexible seating includes nodes, buoys, stools, and mats. Nodes are seats on wheels that swivel, and a small desk is connected to the seat. Buoys are cushioned stools that wobble so students can rock back and forth. Stools are located in front of tall desks which give the option to stand and work at a larger area. Finally. yoga mats can be rolled onto the floor so students can stretch out.

Sofia Guttilla thinks the flexible seating helps students concentrate on their studies.

“It’s not distracting us because we can focus better, and even though at the beginning of the year we moved around a lot, now we have more self-control and don’t move them [the nodes] until the teacher tells us,” said Guttilla.

Most chairs have wheels, so they roll. The buoys rock back and forth. The stools give students an option to stand at tables. The mats allow for stretching on the ground. This flexible seating allows movement that is supposed to increase oxygen to the brain and improve focus. Brendan Morgan agrees.

“The new furniture is way better because it makes the students more comfortable and makes them want to learn,”  said Morgan.

“I like this furniture this year because I am more focused on my work, and I am more comfortable,”  Yaneira Rijo said.

Some students, like Pavel Diaz, thinks the educational benefit depends on the individual student.

“If one [student] treats the furniture like their home, they goof around, turn around and talk to their friends, and the other faces the teacher when they need to and uses the furniture wisely, each one acted differently around the furniture,” Diaz replied.

Nathan Leuck admits that a few students get carried away with the motion.

“Sometimes you fall off of the chairs, and it is kind of distracting and makes me fool around,” Leuck explained.

With the love of the nodes from most comes a few common complaints.

“[The nodes] may restrain some students because the nodes don’t have as much room as desks making it difficult to have multiple stuff [books and papers] out at once,” Hugh Hennessy explained.

“It’s a struggle to work on the table because it’s connected to the chair,” Shea Neuschwanter added.