1 Alternative Workspace
Definition
A combination of non-traditional work practices, settings, and locations that can supplement or even replace traditional workspaces.
In action
Teachers can create access to a variety of working environments within their classroom and/or school to meet individual student needs for distraction-free working spaces.
Support Strategies
- Arrange access for quiet work areas such as in the hallway, a private room, desk with a partner, or study carrel
- Comfortable seating (e.g., bean bag chair, padded office chair, carpet square)
- Encourage mobility and variation during lessons (e.g., body breaks)
- Provide multiple locations for independent work within the classroom (e.g., small group table, extra desk)
Case Study
Student: Grade 10 student in English class.
Content: Students are doing a unit on Shakespeare. Students are reading Hamlet silently in class and independently answering guided questions on a worksheet afterwards.
Problem: The student is having a difficult time focusing on the work while at their desk due to the amount of noise and visual distractions from classmates.
Solution: The student is provided with a quiet study carrel with comfortable sitting,set up atone end of the room, during the independent work period to give the student some space from the distractions of the large group.
