Written Assignment Unit 2

University of the People

EDUC 5710

Understanding Barriers to Learning

There are several practical applications of seating arrangements such as helping teachers learn
students’ names quickly, knowing who is sitting in what seat according to the teacher’s chart,
students turning in papers in alphabetical order if seating is arranged that way, and helping the
teacher place students in advantageous ways to aid learning and classroom management
(Godwin, 2019). On the other hand, seating arrangements can result in some negative undertones
such as when it makes students believe the teacher is picking favorites, when it places introverts
next to students they are not likely to speak to, and taking away an opportunity to learn self
control and discipline of staying on task even though they are sitting next to their friends
(Godwin, 2019). However, teachers still need to organize their classrooms and that involves
making seating arrangements. Seating arrangements are not meant to be set in stone but rather, to
be fluid and adjustable based on the type of learning to be done (Dubec, 2019; Amplivox, 2014;
Debec, 2019; TFA Editorial Team, 2016). Seating arrangements have also been shown to play a
critical role in creating a positive classroom environment. This paper will explore the following
three types of seating arrangements and outline their pros and cons: pods/teams/learn Lab,
(Dubec, 2019), modified horseshoe and rows. It will also discuss my reasons for choosing them
and give examples of instances in which I have applied each.

ROWS: This is my least favorite seating arrangement, but I find myself using it frequently in my
classroom. Rows/traditional school style seating has desks laid out in horizontal lines three or
four deep and can sometimes be more. A modified version of row seating is called Stadium
Seating. In row seating, students in the front row get an unobstructed view of everything in the
front of the classroom and the rest of the students stare into the backs of the students seated in
front of them.(Davies, 2020). In my view, rows constructed from individual desks are simply a
series of island seating in the same space. I do not like rows because of the cons usually outlined
for this type of seating and because I find it sets up the teacher to be the arbiter of knowledge
while the students are merely there to receive.

Cons of Row Seating: Rows make it difficult for the teacher to move around a classroom (TFA
editorial group, 2016), for the students in the back rows to remain engaged and for students to
engage with each other in collaboration (Davies, 2020). Davies (2020) claims the seating is less
suitable for cooperative learning and poses problems for classroom management. Rows tend to
separate the teacher from the students, especially those in the back and concentrates the
interaction toward the front end of the class and tends to ignore those in the back (Amplivox,
2014). Pros of Row seating: everyone is facing the front of the classroom, has their own space to
write and can see the teacher, which make it good for information sessions and teacher-student
interactions (Amplivox, 2014). Row seating makes the transition to small groups easy as students
can easily turn to the ones behind them and work together (TFA, 2016). Rows also encourage
less talk during teaching, but requires a large floor space (Davies, 2020). Row seating also leaves
space in the front of the room for presentations and the like, keeps students facing the teacher
and better enables to teacher monitor for on task behaviors (Dubec, 2019). As much as I do not
like row seating, I use it because I find it a useful seating arrangement for assessments. In my
classroom,assessments usually involve using real-life artefacts and working with them like one
would in their everyday life. It becomes quite a pain to ensure that students are not just copying
from each other since the artefacts are usually large. Therefore, row seating works well for this
because it allows the teacher a clear view of all students during this time, reducing the temptation
for students to copy from each other. This is the only application I have found for row seating in
my classroom.
Modified Horseshoe: Like its name, this type of seating involves students sitting in a semicircle
or horseshoe shape. The modified horseshoe leaves a space down the center for the teacher to
have better access to students. I like this arrangement when I am doing certain kinds of
instruction like speaking practice.

Pros of Modified Horseshoe: This arrangement is great for small classrooms as it allows the
teacher to be able to fit many desks into a small space. The distance between the desks also
discourages off task talking to friends while helping to make partner work simpler. Due to its
shape, the modified horseshoe allows the teacher to see each student’s work while providing
access to all students by the small break in the middle (Dubec, 2020). The layout is good for
discussion between students and teacher and affords students a clear view of the front of the
room. This seating arrangement also eliminates the issue of teaching to students’ backs (TFA,
2016).
Cons of Modified Horseshoe: This seating spreads students out in the classroom and may make
it difficult for the teacher to speak to the whole class. The seating also makes group work harder
because it takes too much time rearranging seating (Dubec, 2020). To counter this however,
Davies (2020) suggests that a double horseshoe can be used but quickly mentions that that comes
with the challenge of students turning around to talk to their buddies behind them. I like the
single semi circle because I have a relatively large classroom with a small number of students
and therefore do not have to deal with the cons outlined. This seating arrangement affords me all
the pros and the added element of removing a hiding place for students who may try to hide
behind their desks. It is common knowledge that public speaking is high up in the list of human
fears. Imagine what speaking a foreign language in public would be like. However, it is still my
duty as teacher to encourage speaking and I have found the horseshoe is the best seating
arrangement for that.

Learning Lab/Groups: This arrangement is the one I use most frequently in my class as it lends
the most credence to my pedagogical bent. Additionally, it is a seating arrangement to which my
administrator is also partial so encourages its use.

Pros of Learning Lab: This seating arrangement can save floor space even with many desks and
it is a great set up for collaborative group work where the aim to create knowledge. The
arrangement also works well for a smaller class like mine. When the desks are set up at angles, it
enables all students to see the teacher and enables the teacher to stand in one spot and see
everyone’s face and work area (Debec, 2020). Learning Lab seating also allows the teachers to
improve classroom management and involve the students in scaffolding techniques by
purposeful planning of groups (Davies, 2020)

Cons of Learning Lab: This style of seating promotes off-task behavior, especially during
teacher-directed instruction, because students sit facing each other. It can also be distracting for
many students (Dubec, 2020). In my class I have witnessed attractions to classmates become a
serious distraction as personal relationships budded. In spite of the cons above, I use this method
in my class because of the pros outlined but, in addition, because I find it to be deeply conducive
to mature adult learning. It comes in especially handy when dealing with new concepts or
vocabulary, which happens almost daily. Students are able to display their knowledge among
their peers while at the same time encouraging their peers to see that it is within their reach to
attain that language level. In my classroom, I have found that learning lab seating arrangement
encourages more student-centered learning as it fosters deeper discussion and soliciting of ideas
and information among them (Hue, M. and Li, W, 2008). McKnight (2014) asserts that learning
lab style seating helps students get more engaged and I have seen this play out in my class as I
have watched students transform their work ethic by taking on ownership and responsibility of
producing good work. Dubec (2020) and other authorities in the field mention that learning lab
seating a great for building classroom management through fostering friendly competition. I
have also observed this phenomenon take a hold of students in my class as they discuss excitedly
about which presentation is going to be the best.

References

Amplivox. (2014, March 4). Classroom layouts: Seating arrangements for effective learning.
AVAmplkivox. Retrieved December 5, 2020, from
https://blog.ampli.com/2014/03/classroom-layouts-seating-arrangements-for-effective-learning.ht
ml
Davies, R. (2020, August 6). The secret to classroom seating arrangements - how to decide
what's right for you. Differentiated Teaching. Retrieved December 6, 2020, from
https://www.differentiatedteaching.com/classroom-seating-arrangements/
Dubec, R., Dr. (2019, January 4). Class layout options | teaching commons. Retrieved December
6, 2020, from https://teachingcommons.lakeheadu.ca/class-layout-options
Goodwin, J. (2019, January 10). Pros and cons of classroom seating arrangements. Retrieved
December 6, 2020, from
https://schools.magoosh.com/schools-blog/pros-and-cons-of-classroom-seating-arrangements
Hue, M., & Li, W. (2008). Classroom management: Creating a positive learning environment.
Hong Kong University Press.
McKnight, K.S. (2014). Common core literacy strategies for ELA, history/social studies, and the
humanities, grades 6-12: Strategies to deepen content knowledge (grades 6-12). John Wiley &
Sons, Incorporated
TFA Editorial Team. (2016, January 28). The pros and cons of 3 common classroom seating
arrangements | teach for america. Teach For America. Retrieved December 5, 2020, from
https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/the-pros-and-cons-of-3-common-classroom-seating-arra
ngements