Fidget Friendly Classroom

Anne Munroe and her students have been using an innovative tool for
the last 2 months: stand-up desks. These desks have proven to enhance
focus levels and learning for all students. Students noted that they actually
preferred using the stand-up desks over the regular desks typically seen in
high school classrooms. One student stated, It helps me see the board
better and improves my posture. I feel a lot more energized and focused.
The stand-up desks used by Anne
Munroes students include a desk that is lifted to a
height that allows for students to stand up while
continuing with their work. The desks also have
stools to sit on and a foot swing that allows for
students to move around while still staying
seated and focused. The students all agreed
that by just sitting at these desks their work
seems less boring and they feel they have more
energy.
Students expressed their opinion on the
importance these desks could have in all classrooms,
specifically in the subjects of math and science. Having these desks in
harder classes would have a lot of positive influence on our work and would
be helpful for students who like to move around a lot, said one of Ms.
Munroes students in her Junior level class.
Anne Munroe originally heard about these desks on the
national news where inner-city schools in New York City were
reported using these desks to help improve achievement and
focus levels for their students. Ms. Munroe described how
much the students enjoy these desks, and how all the
students always hope that theyre the ones who get to use
them. While her classroom only has four stand-up desks, Ms.
Munroe hopes to get more in hopes of continuing the success
shes finding with her students.
These desks are a great alternative for students who
have difficulty focusing and staying seated within the
classroomspecifically students who may suffer from ADHD.
While the grant money was able to get this classroom 4
desks, it would be wonderful for Ms. Munroe and the school
to grow on this collection and implement stand-up desks in all
classrooms to enhance the focus and learning levels for students.

Quotations from the interview:

I prefer the stand up desk. It changes things up. You can sit or stand and
still get work done.
Posture is definitely a big thing. It helps you stay awake and focused on
what were learning
This is the only classroom that we use these desks but it would be awesome
to have them in other classroomsmaybe math and science classrooms
especially because you have to be more focused in those classes.