MIDWEST CITY, Okla. – There’s no desks in Michelle Ashley’s kindergarten class at Schwartz Elementary in Mid Del Public Schools.

Instead, her students are subjected to a new kind of “flexible seating” that has them kneeling at a table, sprawled out on the floor, standing to write on a shelf, or propping themselves up in some other way to do their work, KFOR reports.

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“How often do we hear a 5-year-old being told ‘Stay on your seat,’” Ashley said. “That’s just developmentally inappropriate.”

In the classroom next door, teacher “Mrs. Frey” gives students other options for completing classwork – a teepee, and a kiddie pool filled with blankets.

Ashley contends the new approach builds core strength in students said it’s improving their handwriting.

“When students anchor their arm, they will write letters with their fingers,” she said. “It’s really helping them developmentally in that way.”

“Is it perfect? Maybe not. Is it bad? Absolutely not. It’s a good thing,” said Ashely, a 19-year teaching veteran.

According the Lucky Little Learners blog, flexible seating worked well for Detroit Lakes, Minnesota teacher Angie Olson, who outlined some of the benefits she’s witnessed in her elementary classroom.

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“Some of my favorite benefits of having flexible seating has been organized supplies, no more lost assignments hiding in desks, no more wasted Fridays spending time to clean out desks, the increased sense of pride and community, and the level of productivity that my students give me,” she wrote. “I have seen a decrease in the number of missing or late assignments.  I am also seeing more happy and engaged kids!”

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Olson said she used standing desks, yoga balls at tables, “sensory squish cushions, regular chairs, crate seats, and hokki stools.

“My students’ favorite spots have been the floor using the bath mats and the table with the stability/yoga balls.  I visited with another teacher friend of mine and I asked her this same question.  In her classroom, the balls were rarely used and most of her students loved working on the floor with a clip board or at the table with the bath mats,” she wrote. “I think it all comes down to the make up of your classroom and students.”

Parents who commented on Facebook expressed mixed reactions to the flexible seating idea in Mid Del schools.

“These teachers found an incredibly creative way to engage all their students, even with a larger than expected class size,” Jessica Fields wrote. “It’ll be exciting to see the long-term benefits of having a kindergarten class centered around exploration.”

“It’s about time that teachers were allowed to do what’s best for kids!” Matt Deen added.

Risa Mystica was a bit more skeptical.

“How will those sweet kids be made to stay in their desks then they go to first grade or middle school and so on?” she questioned. “Sure, it’s fun to not have rules and just lay around on the carpet having fun. Unfortunately, they will have to stay in their seats once they leave kindergarten.”

“Not sure I would want my kid laying around on the floor. Could you imagine all the stuff tracked in from 30 five year olds? Dog poo, bathroom stuff from when they went and who knows what else,” Charlie Nash wrote. “Plus their 1st grade teacher is going to hate them. Tell them next year they can’t run around and have to sit down. Gooood luck!”