I am in the process of acquiring folding round tables. Last year I decided to get rid of my desks and was very happy with the decision. My feeling at the time was that desks encourage kids to feel restrained, as though they have to be right all the time and as though they must stifle their creativity. We train our students that the goal is to be correct, rather than to make progress, and to do it right rather than trying out a lot of different ways. Students have learned to ask teachers the question 'how do you want me to do this?' rather than asking themselves 'how many ways can I do this?'. Desks, for me, were a symbol of that manifesto, so my goal in getting rid of the desks was to create a community learning feeling where students did not feel restrained behind a wood desk, but rather were immediately in contact with the rest of the classroom community. Furthermore, I wanted room in the middle of the classroom where students could practice plays, run relays, and do large group activities that hadn't been possible when there were desks.
That said, the very good point was made that it leaves my students without a hard surface when we need to write, draw, use large sheets of paper, or do group activities like centers. My school at the time had several science tables, so we lined the outside of the classroom with tables, dragging them into the center of the room when we needed them. The arrangement needed some getting used to, because while it did accomplish what I wanted it to, it also left the kids feeling a little more chatty than usual. By the end of the year, though, we had it down, and I had a huge amount of space in my classroom that I didn't have before.
Now, though, I want to put things on the periphery of my classroom, and it would be great if I could just fold the tables up when they're not in use. Home Depot sells tables that have legs that fold in, and then the table folds in half. I suspect I can seat 4-8 kids at a time, which will make all kinds of group work and writing/drawing activities much easier. It also means that when I don't need them, I have most of my classroom space available to me. They cost 75 dollars each, but I have a grant from the school to do it - I encourage you to ask your schools about similar funding! I thought about covering them in chalkboard paint so I could use them as giant whiteboards, but I'm not sure the texture of these particular tables will really allow for it. If you try that, though, I want to hear how it goes.
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