"Last year, I decided I wanted to create a classroom space that was as unique as my students, a place where they would feel comfortable and want to come to class (that’s half the battle in high school, after all!). With my students’ wants and needs in mind, I created a flexible seating environment. Students who needed to move chose the bungy chairs or the stability ball. Students who didn’t feel like sitting could opt for a standing desk. Students could get low by sitting on floor pillows or sit high at the bar stools and bar-top table. We also have a couch and bean bags to relax and social tables for group work. I kept 12 traditional desks for the traditional students and added other touches to make my classroom feel like ‘our’ classroom."

— Veronica Quinn, 11th- and 12th-grade social studies teacher, Brooklyn Collegiate Preparatory HS, Brownsville

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