Choose Your Seat

Every child learns differently, a reality that teachers encounter every day. With the help of a DEF grant, classrooms in Westchester Elementary, Clairemont Elementary and Renfroe Middle School have outfitted their classrooms with alternative seating – exercise balls, wobble stools, desk cycles and stability cushions — that allow their students to choose the seating option that’s best for their learning. Across the district, the results have been positive: overall focus, listening and productivity have improved, and teachers have spent significantly less time re-directing students’ behavior. By removing obstacles to learning and supporting our teachers, this alternative seating initiative has touched upon two ways in which DEF seeks to accomplish its mission of providing educational opportunities for all Decatur youth.