When you consider where students spend most of their time, it’s at their desks at school. Studies indicate that children spend over 70% of their school day sitting in the classroom, which makes getting their seating arrangements correct vital for the learning process. Below are some considerations to have when choosing your next desk purchase:
Recognizing a High-Quality Desk
To ensure you’re picking a desk that will last, you’ll want materials that are durable and resistant to wear and tear. The thicker and wider the desk surface, the more materials it’ll be able to hold. Looking for sturdy and easily cleanable materials like plastic or particleboard will help with the inevitable messes or scribbles students will create. Going with a durable plastic or laminate will also give you the chance to match desks to your school colors or the theme of the classroom. The frame is also essential to check, making sure it can support the weights of books and students without feeling loose or wobbly. Metal frames are almost always your best choice given the stability and carrying capacity of the material.
Ergonomics are a big portion of the sitting experience, so look for a sloped top on the chair to accommodate good back posture. Sometimes, you may even find seats slightly curved to support the leg and thigh area, which further leads to good sitting posture. Make sure that the seat is well enough away from the desk, ensuring larger students don’t have their legs pinched by their desks If your students are constantly adjusting their position in their desks, it might not be an issue of fidgeting, but more that the seats are uncomfortable and don’t lend themselves naturally to comfortable sitting posture.
Elementary vs. High School Desks
One of the key considerations is who will use these desks, particularly between younger and older students. Besides accounting for size and height, considering the features and purpose should be a high priority. Storage is much more of a consideration for elementary classrooms, as students will spend a lot of their time in a single room, compared to what high school students need when traveling from classroom to classroom. Particularly for your younger students, a desk with fewer moving parts such as an open front compared to a lift lid helps to avoid parts breaking or fingers getting caught in hinges.
For older demographics, the ability to adjust seats or desk heights can help greatly with accommodating students, especially as they continue to grow. Desks that can hang backpacks, or be flexible to adapt for particular collaborations or activities, can also be useful in upper grade levels. It will always depend on the purpose of the classroom and subject, so take the time to consider how these desks will be used and would be the most intuitive to sit in during their class.
Consider Using Active Desks
A recent systematic review of studies indicates using “active” desks may help address inactivity, inhibitory control, and attention capacity. With high levels of sedentariness from sitting at a traditional desk, there are considerations on how to address physical activity. These types of desks include standing desks or stand-biased desks, cycling desks, or sitting on a stability ball. While it probably wouldn’t be the full-time desk, encouraging students to use an active desk periodically would lead to improvements in academic and health-related outcomes. More studies need to take place to fully understand the benefits of these kinds of desks, but it might be worth considering having an option for students needing to move around but still stay engaged in the classroom.
________
Student desks are an essential part of the school experience, considering every student uses them for their entire educational career. Taking the time to invest in reliable desks will give you confidence that students have the starting point to succeed. As new features and studies come out, always check for the latest offerings from vendors to see where you might improve the all-important student experience.
Check Out Our Vendor Partners!
amtab
AmTab creates Modern, Popular, and Fun Environments and Experiences with our Furniture and Signage Graphics Decor. We design, manufacture, and furnish from start to finish.
demco
Demco aims to maximize positive outcomes for all learners by offering educators innovative and inspired solutions for their classrooms and libraries. We believe that every learner should have access to optimized spaces, innovative learning tools, and essential resources that maximize potential.
lakeshore
At Lakeshore, we believe in creating products that matter. Developed by teachers for teachers, our hands-on learning materials are meticulously crafted to help children reach developmental and academic milestones through sixth grade, with furniture designed for any learning space through middle school.
Meteor Education
Meteor Education is the leader in the design and delivery of collaborative, flexible learning environments that accelerate student engagement. As part of our full-service approach, Meteor’s local teams, educator experts and design specialists partner closely with each school district to create social classrooms and other custom spaces that empower educators to develop future-ready students. We provide training to teachers to help maximize the positive effect of each environment and tools so districts can measure the impact on student learning and the overall value provided to their community.
Midwest Furnishings
Midwest Educational Furnishings, Inc., is an experienced full-service school furniture and equipment company focused on providing learning environments that inspire students and support educators. Our mission is to enhance and improve learning experiences for students of all ages. We work closely with our clients, creating spaces that support active student learning and innovation.
National Business Furniture
School furniture is not all created equally. Whether your library needs updating or a classroom needs a few more desks, NBF has the furniture you need. With School Desks and School Chairs for teachers and students, NBF has your classroom covered. We also offer Lockers, AV Furniture, and Lunch Tables to keep your school running smoothly.
Quill
Quill delivers office supplies. That may seem humble, but it matters to us because those supplies help you do work that's meaningful—work that positively impacts your coworkers, clients, and customers in big and small ways. When you need us, we're here to deliver for you.
School Specialty
We're leading the way in empowering safe and inspiring spaces for all students to learn and grow. We believe that every student can flourish in an environment where they feel safe and inspired to explore and grow. We empower leaders with modern educational ecosystems that optimize student outcomes.