Recently, I shared a quick classroom tour on Instagram (in April. 8 months into the school year. Can you say type B teacher? Lol... well hopefully it will help teachers or future teachers who are thinking about their classrooms for next year already!)

Here's the video if you didn't get a chance to watch it on social!

This video prompted a lot of questions about my classroom & flexible seating, so I thought I would answer some of the most commonly asked questions!

Frequently Asked Questions - Classroom Tour Edition

Q: Where do you get the string lights around your board?

A: Here is the link to the lights I use. I purchased multiple packs to use around multiple boards (One pack works for 1 whiteboard for me)

Q: How do you assign/let your students choose seats?

A: I have "table groups" that compete each week for points (based on cleaning up all the way, smooth transitions, working on task, etc). The group that has the most points at the end of the week gets to choose their seats. The rest of the class gets their seat randomly assigned with class popsicle sticks!

Q: What are all your classroom jobs?

A: Each year my students seem to gravitate towards certain jobs more than others. Here's what's been really popular with my 6th graders this year: messenger, barista, door holder, job substitute, class photographer, attendance taker, class DJ, board eraser, inspiration, receptionist, and aromatherapist.

​You can grab this editable classroom jobs resource here if you're interested!​

Q: How do you fit all your students in your classroom with flexible seating?

A: A lot of people think that it's harder to accommodate flexible seating with larger class sizes, but I find the opposite to be true. I have 30+ students in my classroom at a time, and I can't imagine having 30+ desks in our room! I love flexible seating because you can fit more students in an area, taking up less room. (Ex: a large table can easily fit 6 students, but 6 desks would take up way more space)

Q: Where do you get all your furniture for flexible seating?

A: I have purchased a lot of my furniture with my own money, but slowly over the years. Inexpensive options: My favorite places to buy my own furniture have been online seller marketplaces (like Facebook Marketplace or Offer Up), Amazon, Goodwill, Walmart and Ross. Free options: I have also had a LOT of furniture donated to me (make yourself known at your school as "the flexible seating lady" and you will get people offering you their home furniture that they're getting rid of!) and I've used Donors Choose and school/state grants to get furniture at no cost to me.

It takes time to build a flexible seating classroom, but there are so many benefits of it! Start small and slowly keep adding as you collect items or receive grants. I also recommend talking to your admin to see if there are any tables or furniture not being used on campus that you can use.

Q: Where do students store their items?

A: I have book boxes for every student, which go on a bookshelf. Another reason I love flexible seating - it helps keep the students more organized because things can't get shoved into their desks!

​Here is a link to the bookshelves I use & here are similar book boxes to the ones I use.​

Q: Where do you get the posters and decor for your classroom?

A: I have created all the decor in my classroom & you can find it all in my store here.

You can also find other collections I've created in my store such as my bestselling "Our Happy Place" decor bundle! ​

I hope that answers all your questions - but if you still have more, feel free to shoot me a DM, email, or comment on my social media! If you use any of these ideas in your classroom, I'd love to see! Feel free to tag me on social @learningwithlauren