“If you don’t innovate, you will evaporate”
-unknown
For years, this quote has been stuck on my mind and has been one of the mantras I have been sticking to every time I feel unmotivated. While education has been innovating our classrooms, teachers are now welcoming unconventional ways of enriching the learning experience.
But how can classroom rugs support learning? In what way?
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<<Looking for the best classroom rugs for teachers? We reviewed 10 rugs that will perfectly fit into your classroom.
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Allowing creativity to blossom is the first step to innovation, and that’s why most teachers are adapting the use of classroom rugs for their classes and it sure has taken their teaching experience to a whole other level.
Lucky for you because today we’re going to go over some of the benefits of how classroom rugs support learning in the classroom. By the end of this article, you’ll be buying a classroom rug for your classroom soon!
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How Can Classroom Rugs Support Learning? 5 Reasons Why Teachers Love Them
#1. A Fun and Flexible Huddle Center
A classroom rug creates a fun, flexible, and convenient seating plan both for students and teachers. It can act as a mat where everyone can gather around sitting cross-legged.
Seated comfortably, children also have the freedom to stretch their legs and a chance for them to reduce fidgeting movements that are typical when they are seated on conventional chairs.
You also don’t have to gather them every time you want to initiate circle time. They will automatically know that it’s time for them to huddle on the carpet whenever you are going to give them activities of sorts.
#2. Offers Warmth and Comfort
The next thing I love about Classroom rugs is that they can instantly give a feeling of warmth and coziness. I mean, anyone would prefer sitting on a warm and fuzzy classroom rug rather than sitting on hard and cold floors, makes sense right?
What’s great about a classroom rug is its ability to retain heat in the classroom that helps a lot during the colder times of the year. They also have an R-Value or a thermal resistance function that can make a room warmer compared to flooring materials alone.
With classroom rugs around, teachers can also take a break from the usual being on their feet all day, this can greatly reduce muscle fatigue and overall foot issues along the way. They can have time to relax while they teach when they are on the rug.
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#3. Everyone Can See and Hear Better
The challenge with using the usual table and chair set for the classroom is that it takes up too much space causing to stretch the distance between teachers and students.
With classroom rugs, everyone can see and hear everyone better. Students also will learn and develop language skills as seating in a circle provides an opportunity for eye contact when the class is discussing something. Classroom rugs are also found to reduce noise that can distract students and eventually interrupt the entire class.
We know that younger kids are sensitive to what they hear and feel not only inside the classroom but with the outside sounds from the room as well. A classroom rug will help absorb and lessen the noise that can affect the learning of the students.
Compared to hard floors that can reverberate sound, classroom rugs can lessen the echo and loud sounds within and outside of the classroom as well. This can improve the focus and concentration of students, and that’s what teachers ultimately want especially during discussions.
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#4. Safety First
If only I had a penny every time I see my kids running around and have a mini heart attack because I’m afraid that they might slip or fall, I think I’ll have a few hundred or so.
One thing that teachers also love about using a classroom rug is that it can help prevent slips and falls. We really can’t contain the children’s energy and love to move. That’s why it’s a good idea to use a classroom rug as a precaution and as a safety measure.
If someone accidentally falls or slips, classroom rugs help reduce the impact because of the soft-pile they have. Don’t worry, most classroom rugs are equipped with an anti-slip feature. You no longer have to worry during rainy or stormy times of the year thanks to classroom rugs.
Moreover, classroom rugs can also help reduce the allergen circulating around inside the classroom because it can get trapped in the rug if it has anti-microbial or anti-bacterial properties.
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#5. Helps Develop Essential Learning Skills
The most important reason why you should get and use a classroom rug is that it greatly helps in improving and promoting learning skills which are a must for them to develop during the early stages of schooling.
As it can provide a flexible seating arrangement for your students, it promotes independence and increases engagement as well.
Classroom rugs can give a better overall experience during class because kids have the freedom to sit wherever they want to, and teachers don’t need to remind them over and over again to sit properly and to give their attention to what is being discussed by them.
They also get to sit with different peers every now and then which helps develop their social skills and their interactions are varied every day and they get to mingle with everybody in the class.
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Conclusion
From a flexible seating option to the safety measure a classroom rug can offer, more and more teachers are trying to adapt and reap the benefits a classroom rug can provide for both them and their students.
In your purchase, consider the color and design. Kids learn better when their minds are sparked into what is interesting to them. There are a variety of designs especially created for classroom use.
If you haven’t tried it out yet, maybe this is the sign for you to try out something new. You’ll be surprised at how much you and your students will love and enjoy the experience!
But it’s actually the no-more-standing-up-for-hours for me. (wink*)
I hope you were convinced to get one for your classroom. Sound off below, I appreciate it!
