George Lucas Educational Foundation

Flexible Classrooms

Flexible classrooms aren’t only about furniture—they’re also about mindset and pedagogy. Learn how you can utilize space to amplify student engagement.

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  • ‘The Human Connection Is Everything’: Dave Eggers on What He’s Learned From Tutoring Students

    A new book details how a tutoring center movement that Eggers started almost 20 years ago works to spark students’ creativity.
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  • A classroom with large rectangular tables and a futon.

    Dos and Don’ts of Classroom Decorations

    What you put on your classroom walls can affect your students’ ability to learn.
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  • Flexible classroom

    Flexible Classrooms: Research Is Scarce, But Promising

    An ambitious study of 153 classrooms in the United Kingdom provides the best evidence that flexible spaces can boost academic performance.
    48.2k
  • A colorful classroom with couches, collapsible desks, and scoop chairs

    7 Outstanding K–8 Flexible Classrooms

    K–8 educators from across the country give you a peek at their classrooms—and explain how they managed the transformations.
    48.7k
  • A large, studentless classroom, with large blue bouncy balls, sofa chairs, folding chairs, a tent, crates, mats, and other unique furniture.

    Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign

    How a visit to Starbucks inspired a change to flexible seating—and then some changes in teaching philosophy.
    28.6k
  • The author's flexible classroom, with many different seating arrangements such as chairs, couches, yoga balls, and stools

    Designing Flexible Seating With Students

    A veteran elementary teacher shares what he’s learned from eight years of building a student-centered environment.
    15.8k
  • A classroom nook with a couch, armchair, and coffee table

    High School Flexible Seating Done Right

    Interested in switching to flexible seating? Get funding ideas, helpful tips, and how-to photos from the pros—your fellow high school teachers.
    19.5k
  • Reflections on Shifting to a Flexible Classroom

    A middle school teacher shares the benefits of giving students voice and choice in their learning environment.
    12.4k
  • How to Set Up a Learner-Centered Classroom

    From composing a class charter to practicing morning meetings, these student-centered strategies create a nurturing environment where learners can thrive.
    1.5k
  • 10 Common Flexible Seating Myths

    An elementary teacher who has been using flexible seating for over a decade responds to the concerns he hears most frequently from other teachers.
    6.3k
  • Can Flexible Classrooms Boost Student Achievement?

    The research suggests that flexibility and a sense of ownership make a real difference for students—but it's not the furniture at work.
    6.7k
  • Learning to Be Flexible

    For middle and high school teachers who avoid lecturing, the switch to flexible seating means the room aligns with their teaching style.
    5.8k
  • Education Buzzwords Defined: What Are Flexible Classrooms?

    It’s not just about moving desks and chairs around—a flexible learning space makes room for more student voice and choice.
    1.9k
  • A 7th Grade Teacher’s Shift to Flexible Seating

    In her continuing efforts to improve her teaching, a middle school teacher moved from reworking the curriculum to updating her room.
    5.7k
  • No Grade Is Too Early for Flexible Seating

    These students work while standing, kneeling—some of them even sit in chairs.
    6.1k

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George Lucas Educational Foundation

Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.
Edutopia® and Lucas Education Research™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries.