I prefer a U shaped classroom, but have so many students this year that it's just too crowded. What do you think is the most effective arrangement for 6th graders have challenging behaviors? (I know ALL middle schoolers have challenging behaviors!)
I preferred inward-facing rows. Six rows of three seats on each side of the room. My smartboard was on one end of the room, and my podium was on the other. It was super easy to switch to groups when needed or to traditional rows for state testing. Worked great for my 7th and 8th graders.
My favorite is groups of 4 desks so I have them work in groups. I change these monthly or whenever a group is unproductive.
I think this arrangement works very well in K-4. By middle school, I prefer a slightly more traditional seating arrangement, which is usually rows where all students are facing the same direction. The rows can be long or short, but it certainly cuts down on "shared" information when it isn't appropriate, as well as making it easier to pass out papers, tests, etc. Whatever you choose, your kids will adapt and hardly even blink at the change. Wishing you the best of luck in this new year.
It took me awhile to find a picture. I had to go back more than 10 years to find a picture with that arrangement. Hopefully it clarifies what I was trying to explain. The angle makes it kind of hard to see how wide the aisle between the two sections is. Inward Facing Rows in another classroom, I had a similar arrangement, but there were also two rows of desks facing the front of the classroom. I had 36 8th graders that year.
Students track the teacher. The most effective desk arrangement is one that helps with classroom management. There is a direct relationship between how students behave and their physical distance from the teacher. It doesn’t matter if it’s U shape, rows, interior loop or ?. Idea is to create an arrangement that will allow you to get from one student to another student in the fewest steps. Given the choice, there is a reason the goof offs head for the back of the room. They know the farther away they are from the teacher the better their odds at not getting caught. However, if you are constantly moving in and out of their space it throws a wrench into their plans. On the other hand, being stuck on the far side of the room due to furniture will cause you to take a bunch of steps to reach the disruption. After a while you may save yourself the trip and trouble and merely nag from afar, “You two back there! Turn around and get back to work!” Play with different arrangements. Test them. Imagine a problem away from where you are helping a student at his/her desk. Can you get to the problem in a few steps? Do you find yourself taking the perimeter route or zig-zagging through furniture? Your arrangement should aim for proactive or prevention via your body language (proximity) by getting close to students. Be wary of set-ups that force you into reactionary management by dealing with problems from a distance due to all the obstacles in your path.
