Thinking Classrooms: Standing vs. Sitting

Hello. 

This week I’m reviewing how students engage with learning as described in Peter Liljedahl's book, Building Thinking Classrooms. These are the norms and expectations of where we expect to see students working and engaging in the learning process and how they impact students’ thinking and problem solving.

Usually, when students are given a task to complete, such as starter, note taking, practice problems or application problems, they are usually expected to complete the work at their desk, sitting down.  As Liljedahl describes earlier in his book, this level of activity at the desk allows students to disengage both their effort and attention.  In order to get students thinking, this behavior needs to be disrupted.  

Liljedahl worked with several teachers experimenting on students working in different types of spaces. This includes working at their desk, working on whiteboards at their desk, standing and working at wall-mounted whiteboards, standing and working on large paper and sitting and working on large paper.  Students were randomly assigned to each group and given the same thinking task to complete.  

Data was collected on three variables:  how long it took to start talking about a task, how long it took to write a mathematical notation down and how long they kept working on the task without teacher encouragement.  Liljedahl also collected data on the amount of discussion, eagerness, full participation of all group members, persistence, knowledge mobility (sharing between groups), and the presence of non-linear thinking on paper (pp. 58 - 60).  

Liljedahl’s results show that students standing at a vertical whiteboard were more engaged, had more participation of all members, were more persistent, and demonstrated more knowledge mobility between groups.  These students were engaged, learning and problem solving.  When Liljedahl spoke with students about sitting versus standing learning, students shared that they feel anonymous when they are sitting and are, therefore, able to disengage more easily (p. 61).

As an educator, I know that sitting for long periods can actually negatively impact student learning.  When I allow students to stand and move about the classroom, they are more engaged with each other and the learning process.  The more flexible we are as teachers, the more we can accommodate students' needs and maximize their learning opportunities. 

Next week, I’ll review what Liljedahl learned about classroom structures, and what impact they have on learning.

If you want to learn more, email me at lindapatrellkim@gmail.com or use the button below to send me a message.