Teach English in Dazhigu Jiedao - Tianjin

Seating Arrangements in the classroomSeating arrangements in the classroom plays an important role in ensuring the success of lesson delivery as well as facilitating the student?s learning process. Different types of seating arrangements caters to different forms of classroom activities. Therefore, it is always encouraged that teachers modify seating arrangements to ensure that lesson outcomes are met. The various types of classroom arrangement styles will be introduced. Firstly, teachers can assign students to be seated in neat rows. This is the traditional method of seating arrangement whereby the teacher gets a good overview of the students in the class. It is useful for conducting examinations/ test as the chances of students cheating is minimal. It allows the teacher to walk to and fro between the aisle to monitor student?s work progress in the class. Students sitting in neat rows tend to be less distracted and pay more attention in class. They are unable to mingle with their peers in this sitting arrangement. Therefore, group discussion and activities should not be held using such an arrangement. Although neat rows allow students to have a better focus in class, the tendency for note passing increases if they intend to make a conversation with their peers. Note passing tend to involve a few middle man before it ultimately reaches its final recipient. Thus, this process causes distraction and inconvenience to other students who might be trying to pay attention to the tutor. With such seating arrangements, the teacher has to ensure that this does not happen in class. Seating in a circle arrangement might benefit in a group activity as students are able to interact with other members of the group and brainstorm their ideas comfortably. This seating arrangement is useful to high school students whereby group activities are being introduced and interaction between their peers is required. However, those students whose backs are facing the whiteboard may not pay attention to the teacher and instead engage in their own activity in class. The U-style seating arrangement might benefit group activities and captures the attention of all students as none of their backs are facing the teacher. All students are seated facing the teacher, therefore eye contact is present during the entire session. U-style seating arrangement allows students to engage in group discussion, and maintain eye contact and view with the teacher. With a U-style arrangement, the teacher is able to monitor the student?s progress in class by walking around and checking on them. The downside of this seating arrangement is it might take up space in class. Therefore, a small classroom might not cater to this seating arrangement. Lastly, comes the seating arrangement in clusters. This form of seating arrangement allows students to seat in blocks of 4-5students in a group. It allows students to interact with each other and facilitates group activities as students are facing each other and are able to mingle without someone being left out from the group. Cluster formation allows the teacher to walk around to monitor the student?s progress as there are spaces around for him/ her to walk without the students shifting their tables and chairs to create a walkway. Although cluster formation allows group activities to be conducted in an informal manner, it creates a form of opportunity for students to talk to someone from another group/ cluster as they are seating near to each other. Therefore, students might end up engaging in small talks from their friends from another group during the process of group activity. Therefore, in such formation we should encourage in high school or college students whereby they are more disciplined in class to follow the teacher?s instruction as compared to elementary school students whereby classroom discipline tends to be an issue. In my opinion, different types of seating arrangement in class are affected by the type of activity the teacher is conducting, the level of participation required from the students, the class size, the classroom setting as well as the overall discipline of the students. Each lesson must be formulated to cater to the atmosphere and learning needs of the class. With that, the teacher should formulate a seating arrangement that is suitable for the particular activity in order to ensure successful delivery. In the start of the class, it is important that the teacher highlights to the students that seating arrangement might vary due to activity demands. It allows students to be mentally prepared for a change in seating position and cooperates with the change.