One in three Americans is obese research shows heavier people sit on average two hours more a day than people who are thin.
A Westgate elementary school teacher is trying to buck that trend by following a new one in the classroom.
“I thought it was really weird, because like I didn't know what it was, it was like a giant thing.”
That was how Jordan Carlson described what she thought when she walked in and saw these in her new 5th grade classroom.
Erin Zabawa is a 5th grade teacher after eight years of teaching she noticed activity in class, meant retention for students.
"When I had seated desks I would always have the kids up and moving, because when they were sitting, they'd be down, they wouldn't stay with me they get a little bored,” She said.
“But if they were up and with me, so I just needed a way to get them up for a longer period of time,” she said.
That's where these came in. It started with a roughly seven thousand dollar grant that bought half the class standing desks. The students switched every two weeks.
"It was boring and they looked like they were more engaged and having fun because they had like this bar thing.”
That bar thing helps the students from fidgeting or having that "standing still feeling" and boy were these kids feverishly pumping away.
From stools like these to the standing desks, there's no such thing as a traditional desk in this classroom.
Zabawa even raised this one for her to stand at if she's teaching.
She says she's also found herself pacing and walking around and engaging more. And according to her fitbit, since she got the stand desks are supporting her curriculum.
“Improved, what they are producing, for me, it's better, Zabawa said.
“They're more focused on this than something in their chair or looking around the room or wondering what their neighbor is doing."
Zabawa hopes above all, this will inspire other teachers to find active options with their students or at least take a step or should we say stand in that direction.
