After reading about Jeff Utecht's Stand up desk experiment on his site The Thinking Stick, I began to wonder if this would work for me, in my classroom. I initially thought that it would be all about gaining exercise and being healthier. But after even the first day I realized that this experiment was having a much more profound impact on my educational philosophy and implementation than I ever would have imagined.
On the first day of my experiment, many students inquired where my desk had gone and many were genuinely interested in why it was gone. This generated a great conversation to which I had more questions than answers. It quickly became clear that "getting more exercise" wasn't the whole story. One student's comment on how a teacher's desk represented a private space fascinated me. Throughout my career I have worked to create a feeling of community and comfort in the classrooms I had, yet each year had a thoroughly private space in it-my desk. That zone of exclusion is now gone and I've arranged my new desk differently. For example, the pictures of my family point outwards, the pencil sharpener and other tools are on the outer edge instead of being nestled inside the fortress of my previously private space.
The difference continues during class. Now I generally move around the classroom more than most teachers I've been told, but now its at a whole new level. I circulate constantly checking for understanding and offering suggestions. Standing desk is the perfect compliment for my flipped classroom.
On a personal note, I feel more energized after the first week of my experiment. Also, interestingly enough I'm sleeping a lot better. I'm not sure if looking forward, I'll be able to sustain it forever, but its working out to be a fascinating experience that has challenged my paradigm not only about physical spaces in the classroom, but how I get to spend my time with my students during the day.
