Classroom Desk Arrangement Ideas

Appropriate arrangement of desks in the classroom will improve learning.

Desk arrangement can set the tone for a classroom and determine how the academic year will evolve. Sitting friends near each other likely will promote more talking and fooling around. Sitting students who don't get along together may cause problems and possibly fights. Creating the perfect desk arrangement will take some time and effort, but once you have found a setup that improves the academic progress in the classroom, you'll accomplish teaching with confidence and ease.

Rotation

Arrange desks and rotate students' seating assignments on a weekly basis. Moving the students will eliminate the struggle of physically moving desks on a weekly basis. Further, this process will allow each student the opportunity to sit up front. Develop a system when rotating so that students don't feel as if they are being singled out. By rotating students on a weekly basis, you can avoid the formation of groups who may talk while class is in session.

U Shape

Arrange desks in a U shape to create a center where you can stand and lecture. This design will allow all students to have a front-row seat during teaching and will increase participation. This arrangement also will allow you to keep an eye on each student, eliminating private conversations or fooling around during class time. You can make eye contact with each student in this setup, which will keep the students focused more on the material being covered and less on daydreaming.

Walkways

Create at least two walkways through the desk design. This design will allow you to walk freely through the class during lessons and testing to monitor students' progress and verify that there is no cheating going on. Arrange desks into three sections. Arrange rows in the center of the room with four of five desks per row. Arrange rows of two desks on both sides of the center row, leaving walkways between. Arrange each side of desks at an angle so the students can view the front of the classroom.

Student Designs

Allow students to participate in the arrangement of desks in the classroom. Print out diagrams of various seating arrangements that you have approved and allow students to vote for the plan they want to try. This process will give students a say in how their desks will be arranged while still giving you the power to approve the selections from which they will choose. Once the arrangement has been chosen, you will have the opportunity to select seating assignments for the students. You can use this type of arrangement if the class does well on a big test, and you can use it throughout the year a few different times to keep students involved in the classroom design.

References

• Teachnology: More Seating Arrangements for Students
• Education World: Do Seating Arrangements and Assignments = Classroom Management?
• The Classroom: Classroom Seating