I can’t believe we have a “Chairs” category. But as some of us, increasingly more of us, dump the desks we probably need one. I was going over some old comments and found this from Robert. Good, practical information for those of us who are considering moving from the primitive (that really is the word) desk scene to new options.
Robert:
I have had no desks for several years and have three different kinds of chair.
1. One is the typical yellow “school chair”. DO NOT GET THESE! They are uncomfortable, unyielding, and conducive to leaning backwards in an attempt to get comfortable. They have a frame with a plastic/nylon/pvc seat and back (two separate pieces). Here is a link so you will know what to AVOID:
http://www.welkerswikinomics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/chairs.jpg
2. Another is a molded plastic chair that is better but still not all that good. Here is a link to this chair:
http://www.edufurniture.com/images/catalog/category13.jpg
3. The third is also molded plastic, but it is the most comfortable of the three, providing both support and a bit of flexibility – some students rock back and forth a little bit with them, but I have never had a student tip one of these backwards. Here is a link to a picture:
http://www.myofficeideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Student-chair-for-school.jpg
The frame for my chairs is a little bit different from this one, but the seat is the same.
I have these three styles of chair because I took what I could get in order to go without desks.
If someone were willing to purchase chairs for my classroom, I would look into something like this:
4. http://www.chinatraderonline.com/Files/Household/Furniture/School-Furniture/School-Chairs-22001660981.jpg
It looks like it is slightly padded and has a moveable writing surface. However, I am not convinced that this would be the best choice because it brings desks back into the equation, allowing students to erect a barrier and hiding place for their cell phones, etc. So far using small (about 12×24) white boards as a writing surface has worked just fine. Many students prefer to use their own binder or a larger book anyway.
or this:
5. http://www.st.houzz.com/simgs/a0317a80025d3c5b_4-2013/contemporary.jpg
I see no reason to deliberately make school seating uncomfortable. On the one hand, some teachers will argue that too much comfort will lead to inattention. That may be true, but a seat that you can sit in comfortably for an hour (as opposed to a bed) is not too comfortable. On the other hand, a seat that is uncomfortable (like most school chairs) will definitely lead to inattention because students are more focused on their discomfort than what is happening in the class. If our instruction is engaging, the relative comfort of a chair will benefit us rather than work against us.
If price is not an issue, I would probably opt for something like #5, but I would want to take a look at the actual chair before ordering.
If price is an issue, I would find #3 fully acceptable, might settle for #2, but would fight against #1 as totally unacceptable.
Just my two cents (or maybe a bit more).