Classroom Desk Organization: Structure or Chaos

It doesn't matter if you're a first year teacher or have been teaching for 20 years, you know that the furniture arrangement affects the way things are in the classroom. You may have students at a desk, in close clusters that interact with each other, or sitting in a straight line separated by rows. Though this group interaction may help students learn from each other, it is also another way the students can be distracted from their work. If you want small clusters or group work, be prepared for more noise than you would have in the traditional classroom furniture setting.

When you have desks in a line separated by rows facing one direction, students are given a private territory or domain which they can call their own. The territory is usually very important to the child who comes from a home that has other siblings. They do not always get the privacy they deserve. You also don't want to put the students too close together. Not only will this cause distraction, but it will take away that sense of privacy most children cherish. In addition, when you have all the children facing one direction, the teacher can speak or give lectures in front of all the students. They will not have to turn their heads or their chairs. It is one direction for speaking and one direction of listening.

Movies, films and other visuals are better presented and received in this fashion. If you have clustered desks or group desks, at least one or two children from each cluster will have to turn around to see the projector screen. You have to remember just because all the children are facing the teacher is no assurance that all the children are learning. Children around the edges of the room and around the back may have more distractions and you may have to change the seating chart around.