I am continually changing the layout of my room. It frustrates the students and if I’m brutally honest it frustrates me too. I just haven’t found a layout that works for me all the time with all my groups. I know its a bit of a joke amongst the rest of the department who change from rows or single desks to grouped tables usually only when doing group activities. My thought process goes like this :
I like a U shape (with a smaller U in the middle of the room), as I think its quite a mature setting – a lot of corporate layouts are like this; its adaptable in that the inner row can turn around and join those on the outside and hey presto! you’ve got groups. All of the students are able to see the board clearly and I can circulate around the room very easily. The downside for me is that the students also have a clear view of the rest of the group and this can lead to some low level off task behaviour and I have to be “on the ball”. My year 10’s and 11’s are ok with this kind of setting, 6th form thrive with this kind of layout but my year 9’s can get quite loud and sometimes off task as its a new setting for some of them.
Grouped tables allow lots of group work and discussion, but I find that individual work can be difficult for some and unless you are careful it is difficult to make sure that all students can see the board. I also like this because this year learning packs (ALL the equipment a student could possibly need) were introduced in every classroom and I disassembled them and put equipment baskets in the centre of each group. I never heard “Miss, I haven’t go a pen” etc and it was brilliant!. But what message does that send to our students about them being responsible for ensuring they are ready to learn. Once the students get over the novelty of sitting in groups in a maths room I have found it works quite well, I just think that its something for me to use, when the activity/lesson requires it.
My class is an OK size I suppose (16 double desks) so I can have them as 4 rows of 4 on either side of the room or just 16 desks. I find this quite restrictive and doesn’t allow for discussion very well, What I must say though is that the low level misbehaviour is never an issue like this.
In previous years I’ve started with a U shape and moved the room into groups when I wanted to do some teamwork activities that required more space between each group. I also persevered through the year 9 low level misbehaviour and they came out the other side. For some reason last term I started with a horseshoe shape for about 5 weeks, then grouped tables for about 5 weeks and then the last 5 weeks changed to single desks in rows. I feel that by reverting to the tried and tested single tables I took the easy option but behaviour improved. I also feel that by changing my room around I was sending a message to the classes that its “my room” … not in itself a bad thing but the changes must certainly be unsettling for some students.
I feel it is time for a change … back to the horseshoe shape it is then!! which means new seating plans … there’s my evening sorted then!
So true of all teachers, trying to get the right set up! I’ve just reverted to single desks (each desk sitting 2 students). A really interesting one to try out is an outside horseshoe with tables coming out of the sides, giving you options to put more troublesome students in the seats facing forwards. You can easily move around the room and then for group work just get the students to move the desks facing forwards to face the table on their diagonal right.
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Sadly in my new room it’s not wide enough to do this, so I had a half version of it which I gave up on when year 10 couldn’t deal with it. I’m always excited for new ideas though!
I’m really enjoying exploring your website, keep up the great work!
ooh that sounds like a great idea … never got a chance to move the desks today as results have just been published and its all a bit manic .. tomorrow is another day and I’m going to have “take 2” of “Operation Rearange”
will add a photo tomorrow (fingers crossed) and see if I’ve interpreted your idea correctly … don’t give up!! maybe think about trying again in the Summer term when the pressure is off.
PS thanks for the feedback and glad someone is reading what I’m writing . Mel
Hmm that formatting got a little messed up, there should be a gap down the centre which you can walk up!
Even the ICT department know about Mel’s obsessive desk move disorder!