How to Arrange Furniture in an Elementary Classroom
Creating a successful learning experience for your students requires more than simply teaching. Your classroom also plays a role in how well your students learn and how comfortable they feel. When you start arranging furniture in your classroom, think about the comfort level of your students, as well as how well they can see the board. Make the classroom usable for every student by creating easily accessible areas of the classroom.
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Instructions
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Place your desk directly in front of the chalkboard or off toward the side of the board. Your desk needs to be in front and not in the back of the classroom. This lets you keep an eye on your students while also making your desk easily approachable for each student.
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Situate desks and tables in a way that allows you to see each student. Place desks in a U shape, so every student can fully see you and you can see them. If you prefer that students work together in groups, you can arrange the desks in groups of four or five. Both desk arrangements give you more room than putting desks in rows.
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Create a comfortable “free time” area. Place a bookshelf full of children’s books in this area. Add a comfortable couch or pillows and an armchair to the area for sitting. This area can also be used for study time or during indoor recess. Include puzzles, small toys and even a listening station in this area.
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Organize storage tables so they sit against a wall toward the back of the room. Keep all the toys or toy baskets on or under the table. You can incorporate the storage tables into the sitting area if you place the sitting area toward the back of the room.
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Tips & Warnings
Even if you do not have a lot of room, you can still utilize the space you have by placing shelves on the walls for extra storage or using stackable floor pillows instead of a couch.
Periodically change the layout of your furniture in your classroom. For example, change sitting arrangements and your “free time” area during holiday breaks. When you change the layout of your room every so often, it gives the room a refreshing look.
Sitting up straight in hard chairs can cause student fatigue, according to Scholastic.
If you do not like the layout of your students' desks, change it until you find a layout you like.
Always ask the school's administration for approval before making any permanent change in your classroom.
References
Resources
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