Movement-friendly class environment
By movement-friendly classroom we understand the setting whereby we can make a mix of dynamic sitting, standing and moving, both inside and outside. On this page you will find both low-threshold and cost-free practice examples for every budget.
The use of one or more standing tables in the classroom
Do you wish to have students break through their sedentary sitting habits more often by introducing a standing table in your classroom?
Do you like to keep the students' standing-up moments structured? Or do you feel better if students decide for themselves when to stand up?
The structured use of a standing table
Free use of standing tables
Elevated set-ups, homemade and creative
If you don't have standing tables in your classroom, think of possibilities offered by DIY alternatives!
INTEGRATING STANDING TABLES IN PRIMARY EDUCATION
In this project, we progressively integrated sitting-standing tables into the classroom. At the start, 1 table has been added. The teachers could use it in different ways: instruction area for the whole class, to offer care to a small group, hand skills, place for correction keys, ... Another way was to have 4 students in turn work at this table. In the process, their personal belongings were stored in a chest of drawers.
A next step was to replace half of all the tables in the classroom by sitting-standing tables. The children change their arrangement independently throughout the day: starting with classic sitting, chairs sliding away in a lock and the table to work while standing up. Thanks to the wheels, the tables also roll away quickly to create more space in the classroom. In this way you can switch from a classic setup to a completely empty classroom in less than 3 minutes every time. It gives you the opportunity to make happen dynamic sitting, standing and moving within the four classroom walls.
MOVEMENT-FRIENDLY CLASSROOM HOWEST CAMPUS BRUGGE CENTRUM
This classroom is the base classroom for the music education classes in the teacher study programme. It allows different class set-ups to be created in no time at all: circle activities, group work, show moments of a classic hearing college. Thanks to light materials, sitting-standing tables on wheels and the modular concept, teachers and students can organize their own furniture arrangement. Sufficient storage space ensures that being mobile is a condition to easily change from dynamic sitting to standing and moving.
MOVEMENT-FRIENDLY CLASSROOM HOWEST CAMPUS BRUGGE STATION
This classroom has been adapted to maximally facilitate active work formats. Individual tables that can be easily moved to different configurations are combined with dynamic seating furniture. In addition, sitting-standing tables were also placed at the side and at the back of the classroom. At the front and at the back of the classroom, there is space for beamer projections. In addition, there is also a whiteboard. An adjacent small room was set up as additional instruction room for small groups and also as storage room for students.
PROJECT MOVEMENT-FRIENDLY CLASSROOM HOWEST CAMPUS BRUGGE CENTRUM
With a minimum investment in a few standing tables from Ikea, we were able to provide several classrooms where can be taught with the option of alternating standing between students. The capacity is maintained in each classroom. For each classroom, we looked for a different arrangement.
EDHUB CLASSROOM HOWEST CAMPUS BRUGGE CENTRUM
In this room, the interaction between didactics, technology and space was an important item. EdHub therefore aims to help bridge the gap in terms of applications and educational practice and has created a space for the professional field and students to work in. Here, focus is not on working with ICT during the tool-oriented workshops, but on the coherence of a fully elaborated didactic framework, a flexible and inspiring environment/room. The EdHub classroom is designed as a room for experiments for students, lecturers and the professional field. You can among other things work with screen-sharing.
OUTSIDE CLASS THE SHELTER HOWEST BRUGGE CAMPUS CENTRUM
This location was arranged as a base camp for the outdoor classes of the teacher study programme. The lecturers of the study programme can also use it as an outdoor classroom. A shelter provides protection from bright sunlight and rain. Outdoor furniture, picnic benches, tree stumps with wobble cushions provide dynamic seating options. Centrally, there are sockets and the site is equipped with internet. This offers the possibility to simulate a classroom, but also to smoothly use the broader school environment as a teaching space.
PROJECT VITAL CLASSROOM HOWEST CAMPUS BRUGGE CENTRUM
In this project, the basic setup is a completely empty classroom. Each lecturer decides, in consultation with the students, which setup is desirable for the lecture. Thanks to lightweight chairs and mobile sitting-standing tables on wheels, each arrangement is set up in less than 3 minutes. This concept maximizes dynamic sitting, standing and moving. Possible class set-ups: completely empty (a lot of room to move around), classic hearing college with a combination of sitting and standing, U-shape combining sitting and standing, group work around large standing tables, etc. In the enclosure you’ll find the different possibilities that are deliberately linked to activating work formats. Important points of attention are informing and sensitizing both lecturers and students and storing facilities for the materials of the students.
Instructional fans for making creative classroom arrangements
Refer to the instruction manuals below to get started with creative constellations in function of suitable active work forms.
Ikea Hack
There are many standing tables on the market. We put wheels under them to move the table around. For us, this table is a budget-friendly starter.
Advantage of this table: budget-friendly and height-adjustable. Disadvantage: the legs have to be screwed back in regularly.
Nudges are subtle pushes that, through small adjustments in the environment or in communication, can steer our behaviour towards healthy choices. Check here how and which nudges you can apply:
Would you like to follow a training or coaching programme tailored to your class or school?
Education & inspiration
