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Ditch the Desk and Embrace the Flex

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By Gwenny Kovachik-MacNeil

I began the 2024 school year in a classroom with eighteen standard desks. Today, I have none. This isn’t a lament about budgetary constraints or overcrowded classrooms; it’s a deliberate choice.

I have long believed that comfort and mobility play a significant role in learning. I teach a merry band of neurodiverse learners, much like myself, and I endeavour to tailor an environment that allows them to move, interact, and explore ideas in a way that best suits their needs and learning styles. Their ability to adjust their seating (and they do—they hop between couches and the standing desk frequently), collaborate in different places, and interact with the material on their terms has yielded increased engagement.

After eliminating the desks, it didn’t take long to realize that they were not required to facilitate the exchange of information in the first place. Instead, my classroom has become a thriving ecosystem of parallel play and learning, woven from blankets and throw pillows, LEGO and whiteboard tables.

It promotes instinctively unfolding movement, interaction, and exploration. Each learner adapts in a way that best meets their needs. Through this, I’ve discovered that flexible seating is part of a learner-centred approach that supports autonomy, engagement, and inclusivity; it encourages students to take ownership of their learning.

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Gwenny Kovachik-MacNeil is an educator, researcher, and PhD candidate focusing on the intersections of Yukon First Nation education and Westernized schooling. She has experience across Canada’s three territories and is passionate about decolonizing education and amplifying youth voices. Currently, she is teaching in Whitehorse, YT, and every day she wakes up amped to work with some of the most interesting teens in the world.

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Gwenny Kovachik-MacNeil
Gwenny Kovachik-MacNeil
Gwenny Kovachik-MacNeil is an educator, researcher, and PhD candidate focusing on the intersections of Yukon First Nation education and Westernized schooling. She has experience across Canada’s three territories and is passionate about decolonizing education and amplifying youth voices. Currently, she is teaching in Whitehorse, YT, and every day she wakes up amped to work with some of the most interesting teens in the world.

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