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The Science of Seating ArrangementOne of the factors that determine the ability of successful student learning is the seating arrangement of a classroom. Besides the obvious necessity to know the material being presented and to teach it in a positive, engaging way, arranging classroom furniture and specifically classroom seats strategically provides an additional way to increase learning capacity. I?d like to focus on seating arrangements from two perspectives today: behavioral considerations and learning considerations. It is clear by either by teaching or having been taught, that students ? especially young students ? vary in their ability to behaviorally handle a classroom setting. The home environment, life experiences, reasons for taking the class, peer pressure, work ethic all contribute to the fact that some students will behave more appropriately than others once class is in session. Looking online, Lessonplansinc.com offers advice on seating plans based on the behaviour of students in an article entitled ?Classroom Seating Charts.? . When dealing with a talkative student, place them next to a shy student. students who are disruptive in class should be placed in the front row but not in the center. Placing them in the center will cause the entire class to notice them. The front corners are the best place for them. The article identifies further behavioral categories: students suffering with ADHD, talkative and defiant students (as opposed to just talkative students), and unmotivated students. Helpful seating charts are available too help teachers make decisions on what works best for their student behavioral demographic. I offer two of the charts below: It is clear that considering behavioral realities will impact the seating arrangements within a classroom setting. In terms of creating an environment for providing an optimal learning experience for students, a number of seating plan options are available. It is important for the teacher to determine the purpose of a particular lesson. Is it to create discussion among students? Is it to allow group work? Is it to develop individual thinking skills? Are students writing a test? In an interactive article entitle ?Classroom Architect? (http://classroom.4teachers.org/), teachers can click and drag various furniture items into a virtual classroom? and visually evaluate the effective or ineffective use of space. A helpful audio lesson from a teacher explains why she chose to set up her classroom the way she did. At NewTeacherSupport@Suite101, Suzanne Pitner gives us five general seating arrangements and the benefits of each one. A short summary follows below: a) desks in a row, facing forward ? less talking among students and students can see the board well. b) desks in groups ? increases cooperation among students c) horseshoe shape ? increases communication with the entire class d) L-shaped arrangements ? increases aisle space and also increases cooperation among students e) U-shaped arrangements - similar to the horseshoe arrangement and helps students to develop together socially. Careful lesson planning will help determine what seating arrangement is best. On ITTT?s own website, Jody Lenderman, referring to a research paper written by Nicole Cusik, writes that setting up the classroom in rows of desks minimizes student interaction. Another available is the circle formation. The circle arrangement increases discussion and will focus the lesson more on students while the teacher becomes more of a facilitator rather than lecturer. A third option is the cluster arrangement. This grouping provides opportunities for excellent discussion and actually prepares students for the business world where such settings are common. Lots of student interaction and opportunities for peer learning exist. Table arrangements, activity zones, pairing students round out Lenderman?s focus on seating arrangements. In order to become a successful teacher, it seems obvious that seating arrangements need to be a high priority in the teacher?s lesson planning. Evaluating student behaviour and the purpose of lesson material become the foundation for determining the classroom seating plan in all classroom settings. Bibliography: 1. www.lessonplansinc.com - http://www.lessonplansinc.com/classroom_management_seating_chart.php 2. http://classroom.4teachers.org/ 3. http://suzannepitner.suite101.com/how-to-plan-a-classroom-seating-arrangement-a122150 4. http://www.tesolcourse.com/tesol-course-articles/seating-arrangements/article-01-jl.php
