MBCS adopt flexible spaces to spur learning

Education is a constantly evolving field, and Mountain Brook City Schools are working to make sure classrooms are evolving as well. As part of a recent initiative, MBCS are aiming to update classrooms for more 21st century-style learning, Technology Director Donna Williamson said.

Williamson said the district chose to expand upon its classroom styles after utilizing a pilot space in Brookwood Forest Elementary. Shortly thereafter, the schools redesigned larger use areas, such as the libraries or media centers, to incorporate “flexible learning spaces.”

Williamson said she prefers this term over “flexible seating” because it isn’t just about seating — it’s about the environment as a whole.

The success of redesigning the larger multipurpose rooms led to the same process for classrooms, she added.

Mountain Brook Elementary Principal Ashley McCombs said some of her teachers wanted to pursue flexible learning spacesearly on.

“I had teachers come to me over the summer and [ask if they] could they get some of their funds early to redo parts of the classroom,” she said. After speaking with a few different people, she realized it was a popular idea.

“I started doing research because I feel like whenever you need to make decisions, they should be grounded,” she said, explaining she wanted to be sure seating was effective and helpful, especially if they were using funds raised by the PTO. “We want to be good stewards of the funds we use.”

Because teachers, especially of younger students, like to be able to move around from one activity to another, Williamson said creating an area that can change with what is happening is both time saving and functional.

Teachers can move seamlessly from one lesson into the next, from craft time into test time, and from reading individually into group work. 

Many tables — which are being used in place of more stationary desks — are on wheels to allow for fluid movement. Chairs can have wheels as well, or the chairs can be workout balls, inflated discs, couches or wobble stools. Students at the elementary level are welcomed to sit on the floor, as well, either on a mat, rocker seats or beanbags.

Williamson said the goal of the flexible spaces is to both engage students in learning and give them a space that supports their learning style.

After the pilot classrooms were rolled out, the district encouraged other teachers to branch out and use the flexible environment in the rooms, but Williamson said not everyone understood what was being requested. But after a few “trailblazers” found their niche, others got a vision for their classrooms.

And to integrate the students into process, many teachers asked for their input. 

“It’s just a neat kind of experience in that the kids are part of it,” McCombs said. “The engagement level is totally different.” 

That carries over to the learning, too, McCombs said.

The seating isn’t only aimed to help the teachers and classrooms be more organized and efficient — the flexible spaces are also proven to help students learn, McCombs said.

McCombs said there are five trends in recent research that support having flexible learning environments for students: it increases engagement; it’s more student centered; it promotes collaboration; it sparks creativity and it can be matched to different learning styles.

Williamson agreed, saying that younger students, such as those in grades K-2, are surrounded by a flexible learning centers at home or other similar areas. 

The flexibility is exhibited in older grade levels as well, with high-top learning stations, charging stations and an overlap of different seating from the younger grades.

“It’s not about disseminating information like it used to be. It’s more about teaching students to think, teaching students to collaborate,” Williamson said. “But you can’t collaborate if you’re in rows.”

Both she and McCombs are seeing positive feedback from the students and teachers, too. 

“I stopped the kids [during a lesson] and said, ‘Are you loving your new room?’ And they all said, ‘Yes. It rocks,’” McCombs said. 

Williamson said she believes the flexible spaces help students be more independent and make their own decisions. Some of the new seating, such as the wobble stools, also helps students “get the jitters out,” Williamson said, and focus while completing schoolwork.

While there may be some disruption when a new piece of furniture comes in, both Williamson and McCombs said everything settles back into a normal routine after a few days.

“It’s almost like they’re more free and comfortable to really talk,” Williamson said, which leads to greater classroom discussion and contribution.

Regardless, the new flexible seating arrangements work in harmony for both the teachers and students, creating a space that is welcoming for all learning and teaching styles. 

“The ultimate goal is to empower teachers to teach the way they want to teach and to help students be able to learn in an environment that engages them and is conducive to what they want to do,” Williamson said. “It’s really a no-brainer. It’s about options.”

“This is a win-win for everybody,” McCombs agreed.