The Key Benefits of Flexible Seating (& How It Helps Students Learn) with Kimberly Lock [episode 24]

Why hello, my friend, I’m so excited to be here with you today. And I have an incredible interview with Kimberly Lock, who is an amazing member of our community. And she is passionate about flexible seating, which we’re going to talk about today. But before we dive in, I want to tell you about something exciting that is going on right now. So in case you didn’t hear in past episodes, we’ve been planning a giant, huge, ginormous giveaway, we will be giving away an entire year of Wife Teacher Mommy club, so many other things in that grand prize is going to be amazing. But then also we are giving away tons of prizes to tons of teachers, it’s not going to be just one winner. We’re giving away gift cards, we’re giving away swag. We’re giving away different items that will be helpful in your classroom. And there’ll be so much more info if you go to wtmgiveaway.com. I will also link to that in the show notes. You can check out the giveaway get entered, all you need to do is enter your name and email and you’re entered. And then there are tons more ways you can enter to win too; one can be by being subscribed to this podcast and leaving a review. If you’ve already done those things, or if you can quickly do them right now you can just check those boxes as you do the giveaway. So make sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review and there will be tons of other opportunities to get prizes as well. Along with that we are also doing a trial of Wife Teacher Mommy club. And if you take advantage of the trial, you will be able to get even more entries into the giveaway. Now it’s completely optional. You don’t have to do that. But I would highly recommend it. Because you will get to download some resources, you’ll get to attend a coaching call, you’ll get to listen to the bonus members only private podcast and really see what it’s all about before fully committing to the club. You can always cancel before the trial period is over. But it’s a great way to really peek inside and see what’s going on what the club is all about, why over 1,000 teachers have joined in are loving it, we would love for you to come with us. And I would also love to mention if you’re not quite ready to join the club, the club is definitely the best way to get our resources in my opinion.

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But now I really want to dive into today’s interview. Today I will be interviewing Kimberly Lock, a 32 year old teacher from Michigan. She wears many hats, but she’s been teaching in various roles for the past six years. This past year was her first classroom and a new school. She’s been teaching fourth grade language arts and humanities. And her passion lies in reading intervention and differentiation so that all students can make progress and feel successful in reading. I so agree those are such important things. And she is also as you’ll learn today, very passionate about flexible seating. In fact, as I mentioned, she thinks that should be a requirement for all classrooms. So let’s jump in to the interview and hear all about it. I think you’re going to get so many great ideas on how you can implement flexible seating in your classroom, and even if you’re already doing it that you will learn something new. And even if you are a homeschool parent, you would definitely use this flexible seeing with your own children that you teach at home, I will be getting some of these for my own children. I know they can get their wiggles out while they’re doing their homeschool as well. So this is definitely applicable to all of our listeners, and I can’t wait. Let’s dive right in. Hey, Kimberly, thanks so much for joining me on the podcast today.

Hi, Kelsey. I’m so glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

I’m so excited to have you and all the knowledge you’re going to have to share about flexible seating. I’m super excited about this topic. Me too. So tell our listeners before we dive in, tell them a little bit about yourself. So like where you’re from, what grade you teach, your teaching background, and just a little bit about you.

Yeah, so I’m Kimberly, I am from Michigan, I kind of took a roundabout way of getting to where I am in teaching. I actually got my Master’s in teaching in 2013. But I didn’t have my first classroom until this past year, I was doing various other things. But I’ve had a lot of different roles in teaching, I was doing reading intervention. And I was doing title one reading intervention. And I was a building sub. And this past year, I finally got my first classroom teaching fourth grade ELA and humanities. And it’s so exciting.

That’s amazing. I’m so excited for you. Congrats on that position. Thank you. And I love hearing that you’ve had this like wide range of educational experiences, that’s kind of like where I’ve been too, it’s fun to you know, sub and teach and all the things. So you gave me a list of three topics. They were all fabulous. So it was, you know, hard to pick it away. But also when you said flexible seating should be a requirement for all classrooms. That’s what you said when you filled out the form to be on the podcast. And I found that super interesting. And it’s a huge topic in education. And we haven’t covered it a whole ton on the blog or on the podcast. So I knew that I wanted to hear about this. So where do you want to start with this topic?

I think, as we know, not all students are created equal. And so we have all of these things to help with the lesson plans like differentiation, modifications, accommodations that we make for our students all the time. But we don’t really seem to have the same attitude, at least in the authoritative positions, that behavior should be the same way. And there are some students that they just need to move, like they’re kids, they just need to move. And so having the ability to not sit in a stiff desk chair, is sometimes all it takes to get them to just pay attention. It would avoid them getting up out of their seat, I kind of got introduced to the idea when I was teaching at a title one school in An Arbor. And they were doing a lot of innovative things at the time, it was innovative, to have flexible seating. And I was really intrigued by that. And I was able to see the difference in the classroom like the as long as you introduce it in the right way, it can be a really useful tool to prevent behavior that shouldn’t even be a problem in the first place.

I love how you made the point of it really is like a reasonable accommodation just like you would with like lesson planning. You want to differentiate to meet their educational needs. You also wants to differentiate to meet just their needs as a child in the classroom.

So I love that. Yeah, absolutely. And I think you’ve kind of touched on this, but specifically why do you think it should be a requirement for all classrooms?

Yeah, I think it should be required, because it’s just another modification we can make for our students who just need a little bit extra. We’re already differentiating in so many ways. This is something that kind of I feel like got swept under the radar is something that’s needed. And I think it should be a requirement because there’s always going to be students in your classroom that can make use of it. No matter what kind of students you have there. You’re always going to have students that can use flexible seating.

For sure. So can you explain a little bit how does flexible seating work in your classroom?

Yeah, so I have three wobbly stools and five cushioned seats. They’re like a semi circle of a seat. It’s like not inflated a lot but like just enough so that it’s cushy, and you can kind of wiggle on it. It is like silicone material so it sticks really well onto the hard seats. And then they can just sit on it and like kind of wiggle if they need to. They are kind of expensive, which is why I only have a few in my classroom. And I kind of introduced it as if you feel like you need to move, just grab one of the seats. And that didn’t really work because my students started fighting over them. So then I introduced them in a rotation. So I let them use it for like 15 minutes. And then I would say switch and they would give it to somebody else who wanted it. Like I would say, raise your hand if you want a wobbly seat. And they would have to give their as to somebody whose hand was raised. And that seemed to work for most of the year, there was only a couple of times I had to like lock them away, because students were fighting over them too much. But for the most part, the rotation worked really well. I think you can also do it, if you have certain students that you know, need it, you can just say like, these seats are for those students, and those students are the only ones allowed to use it. You could do it that way too. I think some students are more understandable of fair not being equal. So yeah, that’s something that I think you would just have to introduce it a different way. But the rotation I think works well for my classroom.

I love the idea of the rotation. And even you have to explain to some students like you know, this student needs this to reach the same place that you are whatever, like, you know, equality and equity aren’t necessarily the same thing. And those are kind of big words for young students. But it’s kind of like, I don’t know if you’ve seen that picture that pedestals Yeah, pedestals. Yes. So it’s really kind of like that. I feel like that illustrates it really well for for kids like to understand that concept. Yeah, I agree. So in your classroom, it sounds like you have traditional classroom seating as well. But then you also have the flexible seating options that rotate. So what was your personal experience? Like, when you first didn’t have the flexible seating? How does that compare to now that you’ve added it?

Yeah. So when I saw my classroom, it was all of those desks that have seats attached to them that are just the worst. Those are the worst. Yeah. So I knew I knew immediately I was going to need something else. Unfortunately, my school like they don’t have the means to get me like all tables or different seatings. So I actually used the website called DonorsChoose in the summer, like before school started in August. And I said, Hey, I really want some flexible seating for my classroom. And I was lucky enough that my partner, his boss, actually donated like most of the money, and I was able to get them right for the start of school. That’s incredible. Yeah, it was great. I was able to have them right there. For like the first couple of weeks of school, I was really excited. And the kids like, they get really excited about it, too. Like they don’t want to sit in those seats anymore than we do. So. I mean, we can’t sit for very long without needing to get up and move around. So how can we expect them to do that? You know, it’s like, I don’t know, there’s so many things that it’s weird. They get swept under the radar with all the other things that we do to help students.

And like you said, it can be like very expensive to get it. That’s awesome that you had that Donors Choose. I definitely recommend that. So you did the Donors Choose to get it? But then where’d how? Like, how did you choose what you wanted for your flexible seating? And the where I know you mentioned what you use, but where did you get it? Like how would a listener go to get the flexible seating that you use?

Yeah, so the stools, they’re wobbly stools, those are the only brand I’ve really found is the Hobie brand of those. And that I think you have to order from like very specific websites. But if you just Google it, you can find that yeah, those are, those are the most expensive. They’re like $125 each. That’s why I only have three of those. But the little cushions that I got are $50 each. And so I had five of those. And you can get those on Amazon and get them prime delivery. So those are more accessible, I think for most people. But I feel like the wobblies tools are so great because they just like first of all, you’re not sitting in a hardback chair. And second of all, you can wiggle in any direction that you need to. So if you haven’t seen these before, they are like a stool. But the bottom is like rubbery and it’s curved. So you will it’s like we will wobbles but they don’t fall down. You can sit on the stool and wiggle all you want and the stool won’t fall over unless the student is being crazy. They will fall over at the students like kicking around and trying to fall over. Right. But yeah, they’re really great for students who have a hard time staying seated because it allows them to really just move around as much as they need to during like a focus instruction. And then they can get up like after that. But yeah, the the stools, I think are the best option. They’re just the least affordable.

Of course, right. But that’s great that we do have resources like Donors Choose and class fundraisers or whatever you can do to help with that. Yeah. What are your rules and procedures regarding flexible seating?

Yeah, so I talked about that a little bit with the rotation. So what I do is I kind of choose students, the first time I say, Do you want one and they say yes, and I give them one. And then after about 15 minutes or so I say, if you would like a wobbly seat raise your hand, and the people who have them have to give them up to somebody who has their hand raised. And then after 15 minutes, I do the same thing, again, with those students. And I say, if you already had one, you can’t raise your hand until like the last time at the end. So I usually is like four times that we rotate within a class period. So like the last time, I’ll say, Okay, if you’ve had one before, you can raise your hand this time. And then they’ll all like raise their hands. And it’s hard to choose sometimes because they choose. So I do have to intervene sometimes and say, Hey, like, this person just had it, please give it to somebody else. But they usually are really good about it, because they know everybody wants to use them. And it’s just it’s like another material that we share in the classroom. And fourth graders, for the most part are pretty good about sharing. So yeah, but I think in a younger classroom, you might have to be a little more structured with it, and like, go in a certain like, make a list for yourself like, Okay, now it’s time for these students to have it. Like I would say, maybe kinder and first grade, you might have to say, these five students get it first, and then pass it to the next five, and like you say, who gets it, versus them choosing who to give it to, which I think is fine for older students. But I think more structure is needed, if you are using these kinds of seating with a lower grade level.

For sure, I would agree with that. And like you need to keep the age and developmental stage of your students in mind when doing things like this. And then you can always, you know, if you have them picking somebody who’s raised their hand, and you find that it’s not working, you can always change that too.

Yeah, I’ve also seen my sister is a teacher as well. And she has all of their names on magnets. And she has like a section on the board for using the wobbly stool or using the seat. And so they move their their name into that spot. And then like you can see who exactly has them and who doesn’t. And then you can intervene a little bit better in that way, as far as who gets them next, and that kind of thing. So there’s, there’s a few different ways you can do it.

That’s really nice. I like that magnet idea. Have you had any problems with flexible seating that teachers might need to be aware of?

Yes, I mentioned this a little bit students like to fight over them. Especially if you’re in a class that has a lot of big personalities and big behaviors, you might have a lot of fighting over them. I did have to like put them away. Unfortunately, for a period of time in my classroom, because it was the beginning of the year, they were kind of everyone knows this year was crazy. But they were having a hard time getting along with each other in the beginning of the year, more so than the end of the year. And they were fighting all the time over pretty much everything, including the seats. And because they’re not something provided by the school, like I spent my own money on them, I didn’t want them to get ruined by people fighting over them or throwing them. And so that is something that was an issue. It was an issue. But I think as they got used to it, it wasn’t an issue anymore, and they were able to use it appropriately. It just takes like a careful introduction period, I think and like letting them know it is a privilege for them to be able to use it and that you can take it away. Unfortunately, I don’t like doing that. Because I think it’s something that you need. But yeah, I think that is something that you need to be just mindful of what your classroom dynamic is like, and if you think they’re going to fight over it, maybe have a more structured way of having them use it.

Yeah, like you said, I think it really comes down to like knowing your students and how they will react best to it and then introducing it in a way where you’re kind of setting the expectations from the get go with that. And then you know, you can always change and take them away if you need to for a period of time and reset that way be like Okay, now we’re bringing them back and this is what we’re doing. Yep, exactly. For all the teachers who are listening and they’re like, Oh, should I do this? That sounds kind of overwhelming. What would you tell them?

I would say if you if you’re overwhelmed by the idea, maybe try one, try having just one in your classroom, and giving it specifically to that student who’s always up out of their seat doing gymnastics in your classroom. Just give it, give it to that student, and see the kind of difference that can make in I think in that way, just saying like, it’s for this specific student, I don’t think they’ll be as like, willing to fight over it, since it’s just one. And I guess if you have the opportunity to like, observe another teacher that does have them that might be ideal, but I know not everybody has that opportunity. So I would say just try one and see the kind of difference it makes. And if it does cause trouble in your classroom, maybe you need to find something else. Like I know they have those giant ball chairs that have wheels on them. There’s like a couple other things out there. But I would say just try one. If you feel like it’s too crazy, just try one and see how it goes.

I love that idea. Like you can dip your toes in without feeling like you have to jump all in, you can kind of try it out and then build from there. Yeah, exactly.

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Awesome. Well, I also wanted to know, I know you recently joined us in Wife Teacher Mommy club. How was that you came to find us?

Yeah, so I was really excited about I saw these ads for the Educate & Rejuvenate session that you did. And I signed up for that. And it was so great. I loved all of the community. And then I found out about all of the resources that you have. And I said, I just need to sign up for this. Because I’ll save money, I buy stuff on Teachers Pay Teachers all the time. I know I’ll save money if I just sign up for the club. And then I saw all of the differentiated readings and the sub folder and all of that stuff is so great. Such a great resource. Honestly, that membership fee pays for itself in all the things I’m planning on using this year.

It really does. And I’m so excited you took the opportunity to join us and I get to connect with you. I just I always celebrate when a new teacher joins us because I’m like, oh my goodness, I just love helping teachers. It’s like my passion. What has been your favorite thing about your club experience so far?

Definitely the community in the Facebook group. And even during the Educate and Rejuvenate sessions, people were so supportive and helpful towards each other. And I think sometimes there are teacher dynamics where they’re more like judgy of you and like try to tell you the right way to do things. But this community is not like that at all. They’re very open to different ideas. And everybody just wants to like learn from each other. And I think that’s really what I love the most about it.

Absolutely. We are lifelong learners. That’s actually one of my like core values at Wife Teacher Mommy, it’s like you’re never done learning. We can always keep learning. So if a podcast listener is debating about joining, what would you tell them about coming to join us in the community?

I would say if you are somebody that’s like on the fence, just do it. Because if you do it for a month You can cancel it if it’s not for you. And I would say just try it for a month just like with flexible seating. Just try it out and see how it goes. And if it’s not for you, then fine, but I think that you’ll find a lot of resources you can use and a great community to help you out. So I think you should do it.

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for coming on and sharing all of your knowledge about flexible seating. I learned some stuff from this episode, and I’m sure everybody listening has as well. Where can our listeners find you? I know you have a super fun Instagram. So can you tell them about it?

Yes, I do have a fun Instagram. Part of the way that I managed my mental health throughout the school year is by crocheting. And so I have an Instagram dedicated to my life as a crocheting person. I guess it’s on Instagram at @thescarfingartist. So instead of the starving artist, this scarfing artist, and that’s where you can find all of the amazing things that I like to make. And sometimes I talk in there a little bit about my mental health as well.

That’s amazing. I love the scarfing artist, the pun, I feel like teachers, we all love puns, right? Yeah. What are some of the things that you make over there?

Oh, I make all kinds of stuff from like pillows to dresses, I have made several garments, because I test patterns for crochet designers. So they will make a pattern and they need people to test it to make sure that all of the measurements and stuff are right. So I do that pretty often. So I make a lot of like tops and dresses. I also make headbands, and pillows and blankets and stuffed animals, all kinds of things.

That’s amazing. I love that you take the time for like this hobby. It’s not teaching, it’s a side thing that you do like for yourself, because we all need that for our mental health. We need something that’s like just for us. And I love that one of the other topics that Kimberly put on the forum and she applied to be on the podcast was talking about mental health. And we’re going to dive a little bit into that on our bonus segment for Wife Teacher Mommy club members. So if you were a member, be sure to hop over to the members podcast to listen to that. And if you are not in the club, I will see you on Tuesday. Because we are starting two episodes a week starting next week. So so exciting. Yeah, I’m really excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I just love this podcast so much. Thank you for being here, Kimberly.

Absolutely. It was a pleasure to chat with you.