Caden Ruan

Junior Jaden Fu hunches as he reads a textbook. “The desks are really small and the chairs don’t give enough back support,” Jaden said.

Navigating through rows of desks, you gingerly squeeze through narrow gaps between chairs and backpacks and settle into your seat in the back of the classroom. The teacher turns on the projector, about to begin the lecture. But when you look up to copy the problems off the board, the tightly arranged tables make it difficult to see past your classmates. 

Classroom layout may seem like a minor detail, but for many students, it is an essential part of learning. Whether it is desk arrangement or chair design, poor classroom set-ups can cause daily discomfort and obstruct learning.

“I sit at the very back of my math class, and my view of the board is often blocked by students in front of me,” Kaitlyn Nelson (10) said. “When we have lessons, I have to lean and move my body to see what is going on, which can get frustrating after some time.”

Improper posture at school increases students’ risk of more dangerous diseases, according to Hao Liu, who operates a Traditional Chinese Medicine private practice in Sunnyvale. In TCM, practitioners view back pain as the manifestation of bodily imbalances and emphasize combatting this problem through acupuncture, herbal medicine and massage to restore natural harmony.

During their teenage years, children undergo rapid bone growth. However, their muscles develop slower and often are not strong enough to support their skeletal structure. This imbalance leaves adolescents prone to poor posture, and exacerbates spinal disease. 

“Everyday you spend so many hours in class,” Dr. Liu said. “If you are always twisted, sitting sideways, crossing your legs, your entire spine is twisted, and you will develop scoliosis on it. A lot of people with scoliosis gradually develop bad eyesight, hearing problems and balancing problems.”

Scoliosis, a spinal disorder characterized by a sideways curvature of the spine, affects 4% of adolescents, according to the Scoliosis Research Society. Dr. Liu notes that while treatment can quickly reverse damage in mild cases, scoliosis can develop into a chronic problem that leads to more health risks.

Junior Jaden Fu shared his thoughts on classroom setups, noting how current classroom arrangements impact his comfort during class. 

“In the math classrooms, the chairs are connected to the desks,” Jaden said. “I like moving around a little bit. The desks are also really small and the chairs don’t give enough back support.”

Improving classroom layouts and furniture is the key to addressing these issues. Optimal arrangements and workstations can enhance student learning by increasing comfort and visibility. Senior Nolan Chen echoed Jaden’s preferences for large desk space, favoring the tables in Nichols.

“I like science classroom tables more than individual desks. It gives you more space to work with,” Nolan said. “Sometimes if your partner is absent you can steal even more space. It resembles my own workspace at home.”

Students can also make minor adjustments in seating habits to combat back pain and other physical discomforts. Dr. Liu recommends students focus on improving their posture individually to protect their spines.

“If you are lowering your head, your cervical spine needs to hold a lot more weight than it is designed to handle,” Dr. Liu said. “Instead, when you are looking down, tuck your chin in a little bit. You will feel your neck muscles getting stronger to hold your spine. You get support from your muscles, and the weight of your head is not only on your spine so it is more safe.”