5 Pieces of Classroom Furniture

July 16, 2015

Can Just 5 Pieces of Classroom Furniture Rock Your Learning Space? Yes!

In education, a top priority is creating the “perfect storm” for optimum learning. It’s no surprise then that design experts list classroom furniture as the first ingredient in the mix. This blog explains how just five pieces of K-12 furniture can transform a classroom into an inspired learning space.

Why Furniture Matters

As adults, we know how hard it is to concentrate if we’re uncomfortable – too hot or too cold, hungry or tired, or simply battling an off-kilter chair. In a blink, that discomfort can become an all-consuming distraction. The same is true for students, where school is their work place.

Edudemic, a news website about the intersection of teaching, learning and technology, identifies six aspects of classroom design that can affect a pupil’s performance by 25 percent.

This thinking reinforces the power that classroom furniture has in curating the ideal learning environment. Indeed, furniture can be the functional centerpiece of the student experience and the bridge to new pedagogies, such as collaborative learning.

5 Essential Pieces

Granted, few districts can overhaul a classroom, let alone an entire school. But they can begin, classroom by classroom. Smith System® offers innovative K-12 furniture for a wide variety of school settings and learning dynamics. Below are five essential furniture pieces the company recommends as a starting point.

Interchange® Flower Activity Table

Be Collaborative: Activity Tables

Activity tables are great for fostering student collaboration. Smith System® offers activity tables in many shapes and sizes to meet a variety of instructional styles and learning scenarios. The Interchange® Flower Activity Table shown here features adjustable Ellipse leg sets and a solid work surface with enough elbowroom to spread

out project materials and get to work. The table’s playful design seamlessly integrates with Smith System’s Interchange® Student Desks for a uniform look in the classroom. Choose from 11 laminate colors and 21 standard edge colors.

(NOTE: To learn more about Smith’s line-up of activity tables and other innovative classroom furniture, click here to read our blog on the topic.)

Gorilla Booktruck

Be Organized: Book Trucks

Book trucks (or book carts) are the workhorses of education, helping to maximize space and save time. They organize, display and transport books – and much more. Smith System’s Gorilla Booktrucks are a handy companion, capable of holding up to 600 pounds of books, papers or other project materials. But classrooms and media centers aren’t the only appropriate environments for book trucks. They’re also popular in maker spaces, gyms, administrative offices or any area that benefits from a versatile, mobile classroom storage solution.

When shopping, make stability a key factor. Some book trucks can become unstable or unruly with a top-heavy load. The Gorilla Booktruck has a fixed middle pair of castors, making the cart easy to transport over thresholds and other obstacles that might stop a lower-quality book truck in its tracks.

Silhouette® Sit + Stand Desk

Be Flexible: Versatile Desks

Like students, desks come in all shapes and sizes. When choosing classroom desks, keep teaching goals and students’ learning goals top-of-mind. Smith System’s Flex Single-Student Desk is a sure-proof way to enhance learning environments by allowing students to get in and out of their desks.

Traditional school desks are usually designed with support beams under each corner of the work surface. The Flex Desk is unique because it moves support away from the corners of the desk, giving students considerably more knee room for easier ingress/egress. If your goal is to create a mobile learning environment, optional castors are available. In addition to FlexLine, Smith System offers numerous other desk designs, including Curve Desks, Diamond Desks, Two Student Desks and Wing Desks.

Interchange® Multimedia Table

Be Connected: Multimedia Set-Ups

Technology is ubiquitous. Given this new reality, tech’s integration into the classroom, computer lab, media center, etc. should be done in a way that seamlessly fosters student learning.

With a complete and pre-configured system like Smith Systems’ Planner® Collaboration Table, students simply connect their laptops and press a button that says “show me” to have their content displayed on the large presentation module. Suitable for up to six students, this multimedia table offers a six-input HDMI switcher, a TV monitor mount, convenient cable management enclosure, four-inch casters for mobility, and a large 60-inch by 72-inch work surface.

Be Social: Relaxed Seating

Sometimes, learning scenarios call for a different type of seating. Smith System’s Flowform® line strikes the perfect middle ground between lounge seating and classroom seating, encouraging students to collaborate. It allows students to relax while reading, studying or doing group work.

Flowform®

Flowform® works individually or loosely slide together, giving students endless options to make micro-adjustments.

Improve Your School’s Furniture Forecast

Stimulating, engaging learning environment can take shape by choosing furniture that brings out the best in students, teachers and budgets. Leave trendy behind and go with higher-quality, well-made pieces.

Smith System® has spent over 100 years in schools, learning which materials make school furniture and accessories stand the test of time. While there are many school furniture vendors, few offer products that are as durable, green and innovative as Smith System®. It recognizes the importance of clean indoor air and strives to minimize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by its products.

While your school may not be ready to completely overhaul its furniture, it can start slowly with five essential pieces. Consider them baby steps toward achieving your school’s perfect learning storm.