It also frees up more floor space around the classroom. After being in elementary education for 14 years, and as founder of Create-Abilities, Cassie is passionate about helping fellow educators empower their teaching. This way the desks still fit great in the classroom and students can collaborate and be a community. Pros: Do not want the students too close to each other. Mobility. Table groups encourage social interaction. Student-centered or teacher-centered learning? Also, if you are a teacher who finds the competition of group points works well to keep your students on task this desk layout is a winner! As always, pick what works for you and tweak what doesnt. Here are some important considerations for an ideal classroom layout: #1 All Students Visible to the Instructor The seating arrangement should make all students visible to the instructor. Social learning. By facing two desks against the end of the group, this teacher still has large desk groups, without taking up as much room! All students should be able to see something and its easier for the one in the front to divide its attention and eye contact. Copyright 2023 Helpful Professor. Students will be able to collaborate with one another through messaging software. To the sides I have single desks that allow for two students in rows to fill the 'wings' as such. There are many teaching methods for your lesson topics, so why not change your classroom interior based on your lesson? Then a few students that did not do well in a cluster had individual seats facing the center along one side of the room. This grid-type arrangement is done without consideration of the center's popularity or the amount of furniture needed to equip the area. Pros All students are facing toward the front, Cons Its hard to get to the students in the back row, Pros Saves space in your classroom, sharing materials is easy, Cons Some students have to turn to face the front, Cons Some students have their backs to the front, Pros Everyone faces toward the front, a little easier to get to all the kids than with the traditional horseshoe, Cons Takes up a lot of space, hard to share materials, Pros Everyone faces toward the front, its easy to get near all students, Pros Everyone faces toward the front, easy to get to all students. It determined how annoyed you'd be, how much you'd talk, and how much work you'd get done. Have one different flexible seating option available and see if its something your students will be able to cope with and will improve their learning environment. Are you about to embark on a new school year in a new classroom? It gives you an overview of your students computers. Hi there, By pushing the table against the wall, the middle of the room is left with more space. Ill also mention the teaching methods that go with the arranged bench seating and at the end of this post, I added an interactive whiteboard with which you can create your own classroom seating chart. The long rows mean students are often tripping over each others chairs when trying to get in and out of their space. The O-shape layout has the desks in a complete closed circle so all students are facing one another. With access to so many images and quotations online through social media sharing, people pick out things that . Many teachers change out their theme year after year, but one thing often remains the same: the desk/table arrangement. You might have heard of Fitspo, a slang term for fitness inspiration. If you use a lot of laptops or tablets, this class might be good. We'll consider that for a future blog. Love it! This is an oldy but a goody. Let us know on Twitter what your favorite type of seating arrangement is! If you have a large classroom with 32 or more students we recommend the following student desk: Two Pupil Desks. It is rows of two, three or four, but slightly turned so they face the center of the classroom. The students observe a teacher modelling content out the front before attempting the tasks in solitude at their desks. Surprisingly, it was about half and half! Team TPT. It gives you much more freedom as you can draw your own classroom setup. Finally, I believe it's important to change where students sit in the classroom on a regular basis. Amazon's Choice Flash Furniture Billie Student Desk - Natural Open Front Metal School Desk - 24"W x 18"D Adjustable Height, Durable Desk for School or Remote Learning This variation is commonly used in large classes where students cannot fit in just one horseshoe shape. Yikes! If you struggle controlling the flow and behavior of your students, consider using another table layout until you can trust your class to move into this more free flowing classroom layout. It is almost universally accepted that social interaction helps stimulate learning. Active learning. The rows and columns classroom is a very traditional layout that was near universal up until the mid-20th Century. I've also discovered that it's smart to pick a few arrangements that you like and teach your students how to quickly move between the positions when the activity requires it. More Buying Choices. Thanks for your feedback on the flexible seating ideas as well! If you are struggling with a small classroom. It will encourage collaboration, teamwork, and (most importantly) oral communication. When I have used this method, Ive had to ask all students to turn their monitors off and turn to face the rest of the class during the modeled instruction at the start of the lesson. When students are comfortable, they will be more engaged, and therefore more knowledge can be obtained. 10. Browse by curriculum code or learning area. You may like to use some of our grouping posters for the classroomto name your groups and keep track of group points. If you want students to communicate, consider linking them up to a class chat log on an online forum discussion. Thanks for letting us know! . https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/, 12. Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. I use a miniature version of the horseshoe. Small children. Again, a con to this set-up would be you will have some students not facing the whiteboard and others that are facing the whiteboard, however, may have other students heads in the way of their viewing of the whiteboard. Be conscious of space. If you are thinking of changing to flexible seating it may be an idea to have a bit of a trial period to see if this sort of layout is going to work for your class. Required fields are marked *, This Article was Last Expert Reviewed on January 12, 2023 by Chris Drew, PhD. This layout is also ideal for formal teacher-centered lessons in high school classrooms. I have done the horseshoe but instead of connecting the two sides I leave a space between the sides and can easily move between the back and front. thanks from Durango, Mexico. I wouldnt recommend this seating arrangement in your classroom all the time. 21 Best Classroom Desk Arrangements: Ideas to Consider. About The Helpful Professor See more ideas about classroom desk arrangement, classroom desk, classroom. There arent too many other options. With younger students, I get them to sit at the front of the class for more intimate discussions. Whatever arrangement (s) you use, be sure students can enter and exit the classroom efficiently and backpacks, electrical cords, and other materials can be kept out of the walkways. Finding a classroom desk set-up that suits you and your students can be a tricky task. . For additional students I put a fifth student on the end of a table. However, if you do have large numbers of students in your class this layout could put some students a fair way away from the whiteboard and the front of the class. Establish a theme using photos, icons, logos, personalized fonts, and other customizable elements to make your project feel authentic to your class and style. Class Discussion. There are a few ways to rearrange the tables to give your classroom a fresh, new look. Should you choose a digital teacher planner or a paper planner? To Use Rows of Desks or Not. The open space in the middle of the desks is clearly the focal point or action zone in this sort of space. Also very good for guided practice which involves a lot of presentation and modelling from the teacher before students get to have a go themselves. Its interesting how different groups of students, different times of the year, and different activities call for a change in desk arrangement. Classroom Desk Arrangements For 32 Or More Students. Another classroom management technique using this desk configuration is to not have set desks. Teachers have a blast decorating their rooms, creating bulletin board masterpieces and making their classroom a home away from home. The obvious con of this arrangement is that students may not like to be sitting in a different configuration to their friends. Also, can you cater to every students learning needs? Get your students seated next to each other on one line. https://helpfulprofessor.com/classroom-layouts/. Thanks again. Hannah Braun is a former teacher with 8 years of experience in the classroom and a master's degree in early childhood education. You can always email us at cassie@create-abilities.com if you have any issues. Dont use this desk arrangement for group work. This site is designed to give you some new ideas and fresh perspective for your classroom set up! However, there is less space in the middle than in the traditional horseshoe model, meaning there is less free room for presentations, modeling and active learning. It works well for group or team work. When it came to desk arrangements in my room, I was constantly at two different ends of the spectrum. Knowing the best classroom desk arrangement for your students takes a bit of time after school has started. I also use the flexible seating 'rules' which have proved very useful. Walking between every row and checking on the kids will be like a dream come true for you. Youre welcome! Amazon.com: student desks for classroom 1-48 of over 9,000 results for "student desks for classroom" RESULTS Price and other details may vary based on product size and color. Obviously, there are a number of factors that will influence the seating arrangement that will work in your classroom. More items. One of my favourites is a central column of desks (like the groups of 6) but as long as needed with a flat row facing the board at the back. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. I either loved an arrangement and used it all year, or I kept trying to switch it up and was never satisfied. This may be more teacher-directed than student-directed. Now in this classroom, the teacher created much larger groups.This is a great option if you have a larger class. Curved Desks. Which arrangement works the best in your classroom? Hi Tameka, Repeat this a few times if you have enough classroom space. 7. However, youll then need to follow-up with appropriate pedagogical strategies. Let them organize an event, put together a play, set up their own company, etc. All students face forward at the front of the classroom allowing all students clear vision of the front of the classroom. When youre in a classroom with student desks and computers, you can use this classroom layout. You can also get the students to create group names for their table. FREE delivery Thu, Jan 19. I've definitely found my favorite. I typically prefer small groups, but after 8 days of school, it is clear that this arrangement is not going to work for my new 3rd graders. This post will cover 13 ways to set up your student seating, with photos! Need inspiration for simple socially distanced seating arrangements for classrooms? Hannah, Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. Hang in there. So, this article provides a description of each major classroom layout theory and an explanation of how each desk layout connects to learning theory. The teacher can also stand in the middle of the circle and very easily move from student-to-student or give science demonstrations. I would love to see some options that have room for carpet/mat at the front of the classroom. Flexible seating is not a new concept. classroom desk arrangements for 25 students. I often find it hard to free up room for free floor space in this layout. Subscribe to our curated library of teacher-designed resources and tools for It has such an important influence on classroom management and often dictates the layout of your entire room. These can be arranged in a full or semi-circle which is perfect for sharing and reading aloud time. Whether you have a class of less than 20 or a class of 28 students, explore the most commonly-used classroom desk arrangements to find the layout that works best for you and your students. This arrangement may also make it difficult for teachers to properly monitor all groups if the tables or groups of desks are simply placed about the room in a haphazard manner.In schoolrooms of old, classroom desks were bolted in place on the floor, and teachers and students didn't have available alternative seating choices. That's great to hear Augusta! I have tables and love students sitting with one another for group work. Required fields are marked *. Bundles that you can download with one click. However, what has changed is teachers putting their desks in grouped rows. Thanks for sharing all the great classroom arrangements! The teacher's desk is placed at one side so . Presentations. This teacher, having a large class, fit the triangles together with students facing every other way. Use the stickers I created to set up your own classroom layout for your teaching purpose. Hi Laura, The hybrid n butterfly are the favourites in my classroom. Arrange your classroom in a way that accurately portrays your educational philosophy and ensures that your students can move around and interact the way you'd like. Whip up custom labels, decorations, and worksheets in an instant. Expert interviews, classroom best practices, and entertaining and engaging conversationsall driven by our mission to help every elementary educator empower their teaching. Fitspo and other motivational content is all the rage today. Have a great year! Whole-class discussions. An oldy but a goodie. Flexible seating gurus say that this form of classroom un-seating better reflects the hyper-connected and every-changing world we live in. The U-shape or the horseshoe. The key characteristic of this design is that the students never have their backs to one another and all students have a clear unimpeded view of the central stage area of the classroom. Its not a classroom seating arrangement app, but it comes close. Stadium like seating is another option that may work particularly for the older year levels. With shy groups, I prefer to pair them off in table groups to give students the courage to speak up in smaller group discussions. That way, you can speed up the classical work. Did you know Lucky Little Learners has a brand new Classroom Setup Packs that have everything you need to get your room first day ready? At the moment I'm semi flexible, I have tables that allow up to six and four students, bean bags, coffee table, small tables for one and lap trays. The only thing thats not possible is letting students face each other and talk directly to them. Pair-up activities feel very natural in this situation. By talking through the content in groups, students get to hear other peoples perspectives. For example, if youve decided that you have set yourself the goal of teaching more socially engaging, problem-based lessons, then you might want to think about incorporating table groups and workstations into your classroom design. By. Students are constantly wanting access to the middle area, requiring a desk to be pulled away to provide access. This arrangement is pretty good. Use this just like mentioned above. Allows for room up the front, collaboartive work in the column, space in the wings and a traditional back row for students who like to work together but benefit from front facing not face to face placing. Practice with your class having them immediately stop and give your attention after a cue such as ringing a bell or a clapping sequence. Arrangement with Two E-shaped Desks This is the most common arrangement we utilized. Browse Catalog Grade Level Pre-K - K 1 - 2 3 - 5 6 - 8 9 - 12 Other Subject Arts & Music English Language Arts World Language Math Science Social Studies - History Specialty Holidays / Seasonal The most important thing is that students feel confident and trust the classroom environment. 5 Spanish Classroom Ideas to Give Students a Breath of Fresh Air. The smaller group size also allows for more walking room between groups. I also have couches, bean bag chairs, and a pub table around the room as other options. Zig-zag down the rows asking each student to present a thought defending their side of the debate. They also had to explain why they made their choice. This way they can look left or right depending on where I was teaching from. Students generally dont get a permanent personal workspace in workstation environments. Take the stress out of starting school with tips from teachers who have been in your shoes. The long rows both look out over a runway of free, open space for presentations. Experiential Learning. Group discussions. May 29, 2017 - Explore Cindy Adams's board "Classroom Desk arrangement" on Pinterest. It is also being done to examine in sitting in desks, are friendly for children. Five or more teachers. Everything will be spread out on those desks in the middle. Thank you for so many suggestions. The setting of the desk will also help students to stay on task. THe next Classroom Desk Arrangement Ideas, The pairs classroom desk arrangement is a configuration for arranging desks in a classroom. Digital activities and interactive games built for the big screen. The way you should set up your desk arrangements and classroom layouts matters. Dont worry though, theres a conference classroom layout for many students and a large classroom as well. In a typical class, you might have five rows of six students. Modifications are also common in universal design for learning setups. Its a seating arrangement to get as many students in one classroom. Cant wait to try them. Dont use it for group work either. Desk Shield 5 Pk - Plastic Divider Screen for Desk Table or Counter Classroom . Teachers either love this concept or they dont. In each graphic I intended for the bottom edge to be the front. This layout is a textbook example of a behaviorist approach, whereby the teacher delivers truths to students and the students practice what is taught in isolation. I think I found the hybrids con: Everyone is in groups except for the students in the back row. A common design mistake is arranging the classrooms in a grid-like fashion, which means that equal-sized centers are arranged around the classroom's perimeter or along the walls.