Hello everyone! I am going to be teaching 5th grade in a leave replacement position this year. I am a relatively new teacher and have previously taught first grade, so 5th is something very new to me! I just wanted to get your opinions on how to set up the students' desks for the beginning of the year. Do you put them in groups, rows, U-shape, etc.? Thanks for the feedback!
I arranged the desks in a U shape with the remaining desks in the middle (creating mini rows of 2 from each side of the U...if you can picture that ) I figured it would be easier to start out with them facing the front, being a bit more structured in the beginning and then go to groups once I have a better understanding of who will work well together.
I usually start mine out in rows and then move to the U. I am a really big fan of the U because it frees up a little bit more space in my already tight room, but I like to get the structure of the rows in for the first couple weeks of school.
I start off in groups. I want them to know right away that they will need to work together. But I also change setting and arrangements often.
There are lots of good ways to arrange desks. I have found 2 things that are essential though. 1. Students are together either in pairs or in groups of 3 or 4. This age needs some time working together. 2. Make sure your aisles are nice and large. Make sure you can get to a student's desk quickly and easily. You'll want to walk around the room a lot with this age. Have a great year!
I agree. I always start with my kids facing the front of the room, while they are learning when it's appropriate to talk and when it is not.
This is my first year in 5th grade coming from 1st as well! I decided to use an arrangement I used in 1st and really liked. I have and E shape on one side with 6 desks for the line down and 3 desks each for the three horizontal lines and a mirror image of that on the other side of the room with a good pathway between them. It seemed to give me the most space, allows easy groupings of at least 3-4 students for group work, and easy accessability for me. Good Luck to use both!
I use a double U Large one that is 6x6x6 desks then a smaller 4x4x4 u that fits inside it! I love this arrangement.
I have an eMINTS classroom, so the desks have to remain in the same place forever...The setup is 2 Ls. One is in a real L shape and the other looks like a backwards 7. It's not my ideal setup, but it works. Also, my desks are really tables, so 2 kids are at each table.
I have my desks in a U shape. A few of my other coworkers use groups, but my desks are the ones that have the chairs attached ("one armed bandits" as our custodian calls them haha), so they can't be set up that way. The kids just pull the desks together when they work in groups and put them back into the U shape when we're done.
