What Classroom Arrangements Work in the Classroom?

Find a classroom arrangement that works for you and your students.

Classroom arrangements can make all the difference in the environment in which your students learn and socialize. Different arrangements can serve better for different purposes, such as group work, debating or lecturing. Finding the arrangement that works best for you and your class may take a little trial and error. So if you're finding that one way isn't working, try switching it up.

Temperature

Some students may have difficulty concentrating when they're either too warm or too cool. Make your students aware of the fact that you're going to try different temperatures, and ask for feedback after you've tried some different arrangements. Once you've found an agreeable temperature, try to stick with it.

Traditional Seating Arrangement

When lecturing or teaching the entire class at one time, it's a good idea to have a traditional seating arrangement. This consists of setting all the desks in symmetric rows and columns, and making the students face the front of the classroom. Students should have equal amounts of space between them and the next desk.

Semicircle Seating Arrangement

The semicircle or horseshoe arrangement comes in handy when you're going to be lecturing the classroom, but intend on having discussions as well. It also works well when handing out worksheets and when you want the class to work as one large group.

Group Work Seating Arrangement

Sometimes it's helpful to have the children split up into smaller groups for activities. This allows them to work and socialize at the same time -- creating an ideal environment for the exchange of ideas. To create a group work seating arrangement, have the students push their desks into small groups of four, creating squares.

Clearing a Path

Students in the front of the classroom can see you and hear you well. But the students in the back of the classroom may have objects in their path, which can lead to distractions and a lack of focus. Make sure all students have a path to the front of the room or wherever you happen to be. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the students in the back, as the separation from you may encourage them to talk or goof off.

Lighting

Try creating different areas in the room which vary in lighting. Some students can concentrate better in highly lit areas, while others may become distracted or overactive. Use bookcases, curtains or other objects to create dimmer areas. Seat the students who do better in low-light areas to help them focus better.

References

• Scholastic: Classroom Organization: The Physical Environment
• Microsoft: Set Up an Effective Classroom Arrangement