As I embarked on my journey with Cohort 21, I believed that I wanted to focus on making more time for authentic opportunities for observation/conversation with students and the ways in which this pertains to documentation of learning. I received some valuable feedback from educators and coaches in the Cohort 21 community which I was able to incorporate into my practice. Following the third face-to-face session however, I did experience a shift in terms of where I wanted to direct my energy and attention in order to improve student learning.
Revised ‘HOW MIGHT WE’ Question: How might we leverage a relationship-based approach to foster an environment that supports student focus?
As one can imagine, focusing can be an incredibly challenging task for a child at 5 years old. As I observed my students struggle with this on a daily basis, addressing this particular challenge continually stood out to me as urgent and important. Although I had already implemented other strategies to support my students with focus (e.g. flexible seating, body/movement breaks, mindfulness activities), I wanted to experiment with something that I felt challenged the status quo.
Traditionally, our classroom setup during whole group learning involved students seated on the carpet either in a circle or a cluster. While this arrangement facilitated group interaction, it often posed difficulties for students struggling to maintain focus. In response, students were directed to individual chairs if they encountered concentration issues, which may have inadvertently created a sense of separation between them and the remainder of the class.
Seeking to bridge this gap and promote inclusivity, I ventured into experimentation with alternative seating arrangements. My goal was to create a learning environment where students felt more empowered and emotionally secure, thus optimizing their focus during lessons. After thoughtful consideration and reflection, I introduced a novel approach: having all students sit in chairs arranged in a circle (myself included as the teacher), allowing for face-to-face interaction at eye level.
The impact of implementing my action plan was transformative for a multitude of reasons. Not only was the desired outcome achieved (increased focus and participation during whole group instruction), but there was also an increased sense of reciprocity and student agency. My students also verbally expressed their liking and appreciation for our new system! I have come to appreciate the profound impact that seating arrangements can have on student learning, engagement, and focus. Experimentation with this approach has been a powerful reminder of the significance of honouring student voice/choice (which I believe is a key ingredient in effective relational teaching and learning).
Moving forward, I am committed to providing my students with a range of choices as it pertains to seating options during whole group instruction (in a chair, on the carpet, using a wiggle cushion, etc.). As a lifelong learner, I am continually looking to improve my practice so would appreciate any resources that readers have to share as it relates to supporting student focus, engagement, and participation in the classroom. Thank you all!