Teachers don’t usually sit during the day, and if they do, it’s for short periods. I wouldn’t say I like sitting at all during class time because it takes me out of the ‘flow’ and dynamic of student learning. If you’re actively engaged in guiding, directing and working alongside your students in the classroom, you are continually moving. I used a traditional desk, but it only became a resting place for books, and other sundry items that I might need during the day, including my laptop. Moreover, I just used my computer at the beginning of the day, or recesses or lunch. This routine certainly doesn’t suit my philosophy of teaching. So what kind of a desk does a teacher need? I need a desk that I can stand at and return to quickly to record information or interact with my interactive display. It must be portable with a desktop area that can include both a laptop and document camera, a fold-away drawer that holds an external wireless keyboard and a mouse for an interactive panel. The desk needs to be adjustable up and down, and the wheels must lock in place. It should have a relatively small footprint with the utility to store cables.
As you can imagine, I was quite delighted when I found a desk that met the criteria mentioned above. The Ergotron stand-up desk is my new ‘must have’ piece of equipment in my classroom. I wondered how I worked in a school for so long without questioning why I had this large, wooden desk that did nothing but hold stuff and didn’t contribute to my teaching in any way. The Ergotron desk that I use is one configuration of many. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in a modern, user-friendly desk from Ergotron, then I doubt it exists. They have desks for just about every scenario, including stand-up desks for students. Stand-up desks are worth having a closer look at if you haven’t already. The research around standing and brain function is pretty solid – if you stand and work you feel more energized and you think more clearly. These desks are also easily moved from one position in the room to another. In my particular context, I need to be able to move my desk right out of the way so that I can free up more space for the students working on various STEM projects. You cannot do this with a traditional desk. Moreover, my students love the desk as well. The desk can be lowered to their height so that when they’re presenting something from the interactive panel, they’re comfortable and confident.
For more information about a stand-up desk that would suit your needs, visit https://www.juststand.org/ for more details. As a committed user, I’m confident that you’ll be amazed at how quickly a stand-up desk can make you even more productive.
