| When I was in the fourth grade all of us | | | | melee that could erupt in the classroom. |
| children had those little kiddie sort of | | | | |
| desks. You know the kind that's a chair | | | | 3) The chair/desk combo (what is this |
| attached to a desk with screws so that you | | | | thing's name?) encourages order. Why? Because |
| have this sort of immovable chair/desk | | | | there's limited desk space for disorder. In |
| combination? Well, as I kid I always wondered | | | | regular desks there's such an expanse of desk |
| why we had such inflexible desks in school in | | | | space that you could have pencils going one |
| the first place when we were all so | | | | way, papers going the other way, and still |
| accustomed to eating at tables that had | | | | have enough room to put your head down for a |
| movable chairs. I mean, why force children to | | | | quick pre-lecture nap. In the chair/desk |
| sit in such cramped, fixed furniture? What | | | | combo (seriously, what's this thing's name?) |
| guides the school district's decision in | | | | the desk space is cut down by half, forcing |
| propagating such stringent furniture? I | | | | you to choose between paper/pencil space and |
| thought about these questions for awhile | | | | nap space. I usually opted for nap space or |
| (because apparently I don't have a life) and | | | | let the paper/pencil space substitute as my |
| I came up with a few reasons for such desk | | | | nap place, but you could just play around |
| dispersion: | | | | with it. But the lack of available spaces |
| | | | forces students to utilize the space that |
| 1) Fixed desks keep children fixed. In | | | | they do have more wisely. |
| movable chairs children can move around | | | | |
| readily and adjust their positions | | | | 4) There's really no fourth reason because I |
| frequently. Now that sounds like a good | | | | couldn't think of one. |
| thing, and it is. We don't want to take away | | | | |
| a child's mobility. But the freedom to move | | | | So what am I saying here? Am I encouraging |
| can be a huge detriment as well, especially | | | | the forced homogeneity of school furniture? |
| in elementary schools. Teachers would have to | | | | Am I endorsing a stringent culture of |
| put up with the constant scooting the chair | | | | immobility and inflexibly in the classroom? |
| back and scooting the chair forward. There's | | | | It seems that way, but not at all. I'm not |
| the ever precarious urge that children have | | | | denying that the chair/desk combo isn't a |
| (don't we all) to lean back in their chairs | | | | great tool for the elementary school setting, |
| and risk their heads to cement floors. Then | | | | but I have to share an alarming fact with you |
| there's the noise factor: the constant | | | | guys now: people are actually using the CD |
| squeaking of chair, the nose that's generated | | | | desk (that's what I'm going to call it-new |
| from people constantly scooting their chairs | | | | name!) in the college setting as well. |
| back and forth, and the loud bang that occurs | | | | |
| when Tiltee finally does crash to the floor. | | | | Seriously. I'm fourteen years older, X-amount |
| So having such inflexible chair forces kids | | | | of pounds heavier, and two-and-a-half feet |
| to remain still. There's no scooting, no | | | | taller than I was in the fourth grade, but I |
| squeaking, and no tilting, which means, | | | | am in my fourth year of college and am still |
| ultimately, no falling. | | | | sitting in chairs similar to the ones I had |
| | | | in the fourth grade. Is that not ridiculous? |
| 2) There's a certain homogeneity that | | | | Are you not as outraged and embittered as I |
| accompanies the chair/desk combination that | | | | am? Okay, maybe outraged and embittered are |
| could be beneficial to the classroom. Have | | | | too strong of words, but I am miffed about |
| you ever noticed that when you have desks | | | | the whole situation I tell you. I'm tired of |
| that have removable chairs, all of the chairs | | | | the inflexibility of the CD desk. I want |
| are different somehow? You have the one chair | | | | space to move around in. I want, and |
| that has only three legs (probably the result | | | | desperately need, more leg room. I don't want |
| of a fateful tilting). You have the chair | | | | to be fixed (in any kind of way). I want the |
| that squeaks unmercifully every time you move | | | | freedom to scoot and squeak, and yes, the |
| in. You have the chair that, no matter how | | | | freedom to tilt my chair oh so precariously. |
| much you try to balance, tilts at an odd | | | | I want elbow room and nap space and the |
| angle. And then you have that lone, plush, | | | | opportunity to nose-dive for any available |
| very comfortable-looking chair that you have | | | | lush, comfortable-looking chair. |
| no idea where it came from, but that everyone | | | | |
| wants and fights over. You've experienced | | | | I'm 22 years old people, and I want a movable |
| this before right? Well in a school setting, | | | | desk. I want it! I want it! I want it! I want |
| the diversity of the chairs could spell chaos | | | | it! I want it! Hm. Hm. Sorry about that. My |
| as nine-year olds throw pencil sharpeners and | | | | outrage and bitterness is showing. But in all |
| chalkboard erasers and nose-dive for the lone | | | | honesty people, I think it's safe to say that |
| plush chair or grow frustrated and hurl the | | | | most people (especially people over the age |
| squeaky chair out of the window or somersault | | | | of ten) would enjoy a little more freedom and |
| dangerously out of the ever-tilty chair. | | | | flexibility in their furniture. I know I do. |
| Okay, I know it's never that bad, but I have | | | | The CD desk is great for pre-pubescent kids |
| seen a guy throw a chalkboard eraser. But | | | | who don't know any better. But for the rest |
| with the chair/desk combination everyone | | | | of us, we know better. And we want better. We |
| would have the same desk and you would never | | | | want it! We want it! We want it! We want it! |
| have to worry about the potential eraser | | | | We want it! |