So after researching and reading lots of blogs! I was so excited! I don't know if I am the only one like this but when I get excited about something I can hardly wait! This was no different! I wanted to do this for my class! I had to make it happen.
Problem #1 - Funding
I decided to work on that for a few days. Ultimately I decided to give Donor's Choose a try! If you haven't tried out Donor's Choose it is an AMAZING organization just for teachers!
You can check out the website here:
Some of you may have heard of the movement #bestschoolday
This created lots of flash funding for teachers all over the United States.
Wow!
I don't know about you but this gives me the chills!
Solution - Apply for Donor's Choose
Here is a link to my Donor's Choose Project
When creating a Donor's Choose project you need to send out permission slips to get permission to use your students photos for the project. I decided to attach a letter with the permission slip explaining to parents what my vision was. I included links to the research I found and shared my idea of starting a donor's choose project.
The response from parents was great! The were on board! Having the support from my administrators and parents made all of the difference!
Here is a picture of the letter
Waiting is the hardest part!
Not knowing how long the process would take (remember...I get too excited to wait)! I decided to give it a try with what I had in my classroom!
Give it a try!
Let me preface this by saying I have an amazing kindergarten assistant who goes along with any crazy idea that I have! So one morning as we were sitting down for calendar, after I did the whole criss cross applesauce, hands to your self, lips zipped jingle, I thought ... drum roll please!
TODAY IS THE DAY!
I told my students to look around and if they were sitting by anyone that may distract them or keep them from making good choices they should move. I explained to them that it was okay if they moved away from a friend because the were making responsible choices and I also reassured them that it didn't mean they weren't still friends.
I explained to them that this was very important especially today because we were going to do something new. We were going to try out something called free seating. I told them that meant they could sit or stand anywhere in the room that they wanted but there were a few guidelines.
I shared with them the guidelines.
(Jotted them down on chart paper)
Now you may be thinking...wow...this teacher has it all together! What a master plan she has!
SO NOT TRUE!
Sometimes you just go with what feels right and like I said that morning I decided
TODAY WAS THE DAY!
So all of this amazement was spur of the moment and I just went with it and you know what so did my kiddos!
Here were the guidelines
(notice they aren't rules - rules can be such a drag! HAHA! )
Take your supplies with you
spread out
working not talking
you can lie on your tummies not on your backs
sit or stand & stick
Here are a few pictures of the choices my students made.
Love the variety of choices that my students made!
Here are a few pictures of the choices my students made.
At this time I still had classroom tables and chairs so I called one table at a time to find a spot.
WOW! I can't even describe how AWESOME it was! You wouldn't believe me if I told you so I thought I would just let you see for yourself!
The students are working on a writing prompt in the video. We read the book Wacky Wednesday and my students were asked to write and draw something that could happen on a Wacky Wednesday.
My students worked like this for 20 minutes! I couldn't believe it!!!
This was three weeks ago and every day I am still truly amazed!
Here is a little something to think about!
This fully supports why I decided to try out alternative seating.
Stay tuned to find out what I asked for, what alternative seating means and looks like in my classroom, and how I modified my classroom without spending money or using Donor's Choose!
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