2/19/2017 TipsfortheMostEffectiveClassroomSeatingArrangement

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Effective Classroom Seating Arrangements

Posted on 12, May, 2015

Last Modied on 25, August, 2016

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Your classroom seating arrangement is just as important as your syllabus. Here are some tips on nding the perfect desk conguration
that ts your teaching style, your students, and your classroom space.

Youve spent countless hours creating the perfect curriculum. Youve searched the deepest corners of the internet to nd
creative lesson plans. Youve stayed after school to give students extra help more days than not. Dont squander all your
hard work by not using an effective classroom seating arrangement.
When your classroom setup is in harmony with your teaching style, your students, and the space and furniture you have to
work with, the benets can be endless. But, when its not, it can be detrimental.
Many factors contribute to determining the most effective classroom seating arrangement. With some of these factors
changing daily (and sometimes even hourly), its important to have a conguration that can be exible to accommodate
classroom variety.

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Factors That Inuence Classroom Congurations

Classroom Size and Shape

Before you start moving your desks all around, make sure your preferred seating arrangement can work within the space and school furniture
(/Industry/School-Displays-Furniture-Signage-56) you have. Some congurations may not be feasible with certain classrooms. Also, be mindful of
obstructions like support beams, poles, walls and other xtures that cant be moved. For many teachers, the chalkboard or whiteboard is a major focus in
their teaching. Make sure your students can clearly see it without too much strain or diculty. For more mobility and exibility, consider swapping your
wall-mounted chalkboard for a rolling whiteboard (/P-24749/Reversible-Whiteboard-with-Fully-Rotating-Frame)or TV cart or stand with wheels that
can be easily moved around the classroom.
Distractions
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Distractions
Identifying and mitigating possible distractions will help streamline your lessons and boost classroom productivity. Things like windows overlooking the
playground, nearby busy lobbies and hallways, water fountains or even someone using the pencil sharpener can easily grab the attention of a borderline
disengaged student. Try to keep these distractions out of your students line of sight.

Student Age and Size

The number of students in your class cannot be discounted when considering classroom seating arrangements. However, just because you have a larger
class of 20 or more students doesnt mean you have to abandon your preferred desk (/P-35812/Square-Breakroom-Table-Gray-Melamine-Top)
conguration. There is a bevy of variations of each design idea to accommodate most class sizes: you just have to be creative.

The age and maturity level of your students can also hinder your choice selection. When selecting a classroom setup, be aware of what would be age
appropriate for your class. If you have students who display behavior issues, be mindful of special seating considerations
(//www.effectiveteaching.com/product_images/uploaded_images/gobe_120_assorted.pdf).

Teaching Style & Objectives

This is the most important factor and, unlike the others weve listed, its completely in your hands. Classroom seating arrangements support your
teaching style and objectives (//www.tesolclass.com/classroom-management/classroom-seating-arrangements) or sabotage them.

Who do you want to be the focus of the class?

Teacher-Centered Class: If your class is going to be lecture- and presentation-centric, use a conguration where all students can see you and the
lectern (/P-14035/Laptop-Station-Multi-Functional-Perfectly-Portable).
Learner-Centered Class:With these classes, student discussion and group work are paramount. Find a seating arrangement that encourages
students to interact with one another.
Both: Many educators adhere to the belief that a balanced education has a healthy mixture of both teacher-centered presentations and student-
based discussions and work. Look for seating layouts that are exible and functional.

How do you want the class to interact?

Minimal: Interaction ows from the teacher to the student. Student-to-student discussion is scarce. Testing and individual work also dominate the
class.
Small Groups: Students interact in pairs or small groups.
Large Groups: Students engage in group discussions and lessons with the entire class.

What are your learning objectives?

Knowledge: Students will learn and understand the content of the coursework. Use congurations that support independent activity and emphasize
focus on content.
Skill Growth: Students develop a certain set of skills during this course. For skills that rely on cooperation, communication, teamwork, reection,
etc., layouts that encourage group work and discussion are preferred. For more independent skills like troubleshooting, analysis, listening, etc.,
look for congurations that support independent work and minimize distractions.

Most Common Congurations

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Traditional Rows or Columns

The rows conguration (also known as the columns conguration) is the most common classroom arrangement. This type of setup complements class
structures that revolve around teacher-based instruction and presentations. Students are more focused on coursework and independent assignments.
They are also less likely and/or able to cheat with this layout. Though this seating arrangement can be used with any class size, large classes may often
see uneven levels of interaction as students in the front row will participate more while those in the back may lose focus.

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Horseshoe or U-Shape
This model supports both student-to-student interaction and teacher-to-student interaction. The class interacts in a large group format, though
teachers have ample opportunity to work with students one on one. Courses that emphasize discussions and presentations typically function well with
this conguration.

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Clusters
Clustering the desks (/P-35836/Round-School-Table-20-31-Height-Range) into small groups promotes student-to-student interaction. Students
develop skills such as communication, problem solving, collaboration, and more in this arrangement. These clusters offer safe and comfortable
environments for students to share ideas. This comfort, however, also lends itself to off-task behavior and large increase in noise level and distractions.

Alternative Congurations
For some educators, the most common classroom seating arrangements arent the most effective. There are innite amounts of variations of clusters,
horseshoes, and rows, and even more classroom setups that are completely new and different. Here is just a handful of examples of more alternative
approaches (//www.thecornerstoneforteachers.com/free-resources/organization/classroom-seating-arrangements).

Runway
Best used with smaller classes, this setup puts the emphasis on the
educator. The teacher uses the runway between the two rows of facing
desks to conduct the lessons. This layout is great for discussions and
lecture based classes.

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Stadium
A variation of the classic row conguration and runway, desks are grouped
in clusters but all facing the same direction. Like runway, this layout is
best suited teacher-centric classes.

Combination
This conguration is great for classes with students of varying learning
levels, methods of learning, and behavioral issues. Mix and match any
conguration to best t your needs and your students abilities. For
example, set up part of the room as rows for students who need to focus
on individual work and another part as a mini horseshoe for students who
require more discussion-based activities.

Conclusion
Every classroom, teacher, student, and situation is unique. To nd the best classroom seating arrangement for you, a little ingenuity and creativity may
be necessary. Think outside the box, rows, and horseshoes and create your own conguration. There are plenty of online tools such as Scholastics Class
Set-Up Tool (//www.teacher.scholastic.com/tools/class_setup/) and Kaplans Floorplanner (//www.kaplanco.com/resources/oorplanner.asp) to help
you develop your own classroom desk (/P-35849/Rectangular-School-Table-Gray-Melamine-Top) layout.

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