Middle School Pilots Standing Desks
“It’s cool… it’s different… I like it.”
That statement captures one student’s reaction after using a standing desk for the first time – one of four desks currently being piloted in Hawken’s Middle School.
Designed by CEO of Jaswig Mathias Ellegiers, who studied engineering and management at CASE, the desks are intended to help with productivity and posture. Inspired by recent research on how students learn, Ellegiers explains how the standing desks contribute to a more dynamic classroom environment. “Kids don’t like to sit down,” he comments, adding that today’s teachers are much more aware of the importance of movement in students’ ability to focus and engage.
While standing desks are becoming more common in office spaces, they are a relatively new concept in schools. Ellegiers’ desks include features that most others in the marketplace do not. They are easily adjustable and child-friendly; they have smooth edges and non-toxic varnishes; and they are made from wood that is sustainably sourced in Ohio. The company’s mission statement explains, “Decisions we make at Jaswig are based on what will increase human health and cause minimal harm to our environment by selecting the best possible materials.”
So far the desks have been well-received by teachers and students alike. Vonceil Strobel notes that about eight of her students “rush” to use the desk. Students’ comments reflect that enthusiasm: “It’s easier for me because I like to move around and I can focus better when I’m standing,” says one. Another acknowledges that he feels “calmer and more focused” when using the desk. Yet another adds, “It’s much better than having to sit all the time.” The aesthetic components of the desk seem to resonate with the students as well: “It looks pretty cool and it feels natural.”
Strobel confesses that when the students aren’t competing for the desk, she herself has enjoyed using it: “It gives variety to my ‘sitting’ time.”
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Students try out the standing desk in Anna Delia's classroom
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An independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school, toddler through grade 12
Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
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