When you’re beginning to provision for the upcoming school year, what is the critical component for your teacher’s classrooms that comes to mind? It may not be student tables, but it should be. The student table is a crucial component to the success of your teachers’ classes.
There is more to choosing the right table than just size and shape. Creating a learning environment that maximizes the students’ ability to learn is a crucial, yet daunting task. We are here to help you sort through the variety of options and choose the best student tables for your classroom needs.
To begin, there are many things you need to keep in mind when searching for the right student tables. Here are the critical ones:
Teaching Style What teaching styles do your teachers have? Do they tend to teach only lecture-style classes or do they prefer seminar discussions? Chances are, your teachers’ styles vary a great deal. Thus, it is key for you to buy student tables that can work both for times of lecture and round-table discussion.
Also important to your table choice is durability. If you think that your teachers will be moving the student tables around to accommodate different classroom activities, your tables need to be durable and capable of withstanding regular rearranging.
It is best to go with a student table style that allows for flexibility and variety. The ways in which teachers design their classes today are becoming increasingly flexible. Learning styles are changing as well, making it necessary for your student tables to be able to accommodate multiple uses.
Comfort Students come in all shapes and sizes, and so should your desks. There is not a “one size fits all” for desks and you should take this into consideration when shopping for student tables. Look for ones that are adjustable to ensure you are covering the wide range of student sizes. You do not want to worry about specialty desk purchases in the future.
Part of this category also involves how comfortable the physical seat is. Students often sit for long periods of time, and the more comfortable they are (without going too far), the more likely they are to be attentive. Rather than constantly shifting around in their seats to achieve comfort, they will be focusing their attention on teachers’ lessons.
Function Having student tables that are multi-functional is crucial. With the collaborative learning and hands-on environment that exists in many of today’s classrooms, student tables need to be easy to rearrange. Many schools have completely eliminated built-in structures and fixtures. By purchasing flexible and movable pieces, the furniture can function in many different ways for varying types of classes.
Be sure to find furniture that enables those with special needs to move around easily and safely as well.
Ergonomics Ensuring that your student tables are ergonomically-sound increases their ability to learn. The amount of time a student spends in a classroom is quite great. Thus, it is crucial to have tables that are the correct size and height and allow the student to sit properly. Both the student and the furniture can be harmed by incorrect use, so purchasing ergonomic tables should be a priority.
Now that we have discussed the areas of consideration used to purchase your tables, we are going to share with you different types of student tables and their functions.
Rectangular & Circular Tables
This style of table is ideal for classes that are group-oriented and involve collaborative activities. Rectangular tables are highly efficient at using space because you can place them along walls or combine them into groups. Circular tables excel in their ability to make all students feel included and part of the “circular group.”
Trapezoid Tables
These tables can combine to create other table shapes, such as a rectangle or a circle. Versatile tables such as the trapezoid will provide your teachers the most flexibility in their classrooms.
Kidney & Horseshoe Tables
The kidney-shaped table provides extra space for the teacher to place materials on or to present a book to students.
The horseshoe style table is great for activities that require the teacher to sit in the center of the group with the students sitting on either side. It makes movement around the classroom easier for teachers.
As you can see, there is a science behind choosing the best student tables. Your decision goes far beyond color, size, and shape to cover the aspects of teaching style, comfort, function, and ergonomics.
No matter what your specific needs are, Classroom Essentials Online has the student tables you are looking for. Our wide variety of options and unbeatable prices make us your number one choice for classroom furniture.
