By LEETAL PREZELMAYER
Jericho High School purchased new student desks which are unique due to their mobility since they are on wheels. Theses desks have received overwhelmingly positive reviews from students and staff.
Students find the desks more comfortable and very practical. The chairs also make the classroom safer since the wells underneath the seats hold backpacks preventing students from tripping or rolling over their bags. Freshman Sujay A. likes the”spinny chairs way better” and thinks they are very cool. He said, “They’re very comfortable.” Sophomore Serene L. said, “I would rather the spinning chairs because you can put your backpack underneath it.” Freshman Lauren S. said, “I think these chairs are very good to have in the classroom because they’re very unique and easy to maneuver.”
Students who are not scheduled for classes in the rooms with the new chairs, wish they had them as well. “I would love to have these chairs in one of my classrooms, because they are so much fun,” said freshman Luke B.
There are a few students that do not like the desks. Freshman Alanna P. said, “I find them distracting because I want to spin.”
For the most part, the responses from teachers who teach in the two classrooms that have the desks feel as though they are a positive supplement to the students’ learning experiences. English teacher Mr. Romano said, “It breaks down a barrier between the teachers and students. It makes us have a connection with them.” English teacher Ms. Valenza believes these chairs are beneficial. She said, “When working in a media-centered classroom, you can swivel the desks to see the students’ computer screens. The new desks allow for quick, quiet, and efficient movement in the classroom from whole group, to small group, to paired instruction.”
On the other hand, English teacher Mr. Darr worries the new chairs could be a distraction and prefers traditional desks. He said, “They’re not for me. If teachers could use them in an academic way, that’s fine with me, but I think it would interfere with a student’s concentration.”
Fourth grade Cantiague teacher Mrs. Kupferman, who is also a parent of a high school student, experienced the new desks while at her freshman daughter’s Back to School night. She liked them so much that she requested them for her classroom. She said, “Kids love the independence. They can easily move around and work with different children.”
English Curriculum Associate Dr. Salzman purchased the desks after he saw them in a video about 21st century learning. He believes the desks are adaptable and comfortable, and are designed to fit all types of student learning styles. “The desks allow students to have a less restrictive environment, and it enhances the learning experience,” he said.
The Jericho School District plans to add more of these chairs as teachers request them for their classrooms.
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