This is the eleventh in a series of posts explaining the Acton Academy Principles of Education.

Education Principle #11: Kids need to move around – tying them to a desk hinders learning

Maria Montessori's principles came from decades of research on children. She studied children younger than elementary school but her principles ring true for all students. A core Montessori principle is that students should not be tied down at their desks.

Why should students not be tied to their desks? Among the many reasons:

1. At Acton, there is no "full frontal teaching" - The teacher is not the center of attention. Students are. Students do most of the talking. Students are engaged and are actively working, learning, collaborating and that can be done at tables, on the floor, or even while standing.

2. Collaboration among students - When students aren't tied to their desks, they can choose where they want to work, how they collaborate, who they collaborate with, and how much time they spend on a certain project.

3. Confidence and Independence - Allow students to roam around, to decide where they need to be and when, who to they need to engage with and how and you'll notice they gain confidence, become decisive and look to figure out answers for themselves rather than looking at the teacher.

There are certainly other reasons as well. Students think more freely and creatively when they are able to move around. It's better for their health to be moving rather than stationary for hours. We also know that activity stimulates the brain.

The desk set up is very industrial. All students aligned and listening to a teacher standing up front. We don't live in an industrial age. We live in an information collaboration age so we need to move beyond the stationary desks.

As one observer of a Montessori school detailed:

The comings and goings of the children were remarkable. They seemed so assured and confident and decisive. No one was telling them where to go or what to do. It was hard to believe that I was observing a room of children ages three through six. If a child chose to do his “work” on the floor, he would first get a rolled up mat the size of a doormat from a bin of several, bring it to his chosen location on the floor, and meticulously unroll it. Then he would go get the work (or the “material” as the various pieces of work from which to choose are called) he had chosen and bring it back to the mat on the floor. Whenever he decided he was done, he’d put the work back where it came from and then re-roll the mat, placing it back in its bin. When something spilled, or it was noticed that a spot on the floor was dirty, a random child would choose to get the broom and dustpan out, or maybe hand towel, and simply clean it up without waiting to be told. I almost had to pinch myself.

Want to learn more? See the research behind the principle.

Further Recommended Reading: Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Stoll Lillard