Viatouch Teacher Articles
Teaching Tips

Classroom Seating Arrangement
by Neerja Sharma

As teachers, it is very important for us to analyze the seating arrangement of a class and change it according to our needs. It may come as a surprise to many, but a seating arrangement can affect the teacher and the students.

Seating arrangement depends upon the size of the classroom, the number of students, and the kind of activities the teacher has planned. A big class should be arranged in rows so that the students can see the teacher and the teacher can see the students. Arranging the students in orderly rows allows the teacher and students a clear view of each other, helps in discipline, and makes lectures more effective. Seating in rows may be best suited for a big class, but the disadvantage is that not every student gets individual attention.

For a small class, the students may be placed in pairs or small groups depending upon what the teacher has planned for the class. In pairs or groups, teachers can easily maintain eye contact with all of the students. It also creates intimacy between students and the teacher. Moreover, these arrangements keep the students on their toes, as they know that I can see them all clearly.

Two other seating arrangements are circular or horseshoe-shaped, where the board and the teacher are at the open end of the arrangement. The teacher is less dominating and the students have a sense of equality in seating. These arrangements are good for group work and peer work. Students can maintain eye contact with other students and remain focused on their lesson. But one disadvantage is that this arrangement cannot cater to a large class effectively.

Another way of seating is to place groups of students at separate tables. This makes the whole learning process informal and the teacher can concentrate on each group. The disadvantage is the inability of the teacher to maintain eye contact with all of the students. Discipline problems may arise because some students may feel that they are a part of a small group, instead of the part of the whole class.

Choose a seating arrangement that best suits your class requirements and numbers. Play with a number of seating arrangements. Experiment simultaneously with the arrangements that work the best, depending upon the activity or exercise. The tables and chairs where the students sit in the class should be in excellent order and very comfortable. After all, the students have to spend almost half of their day sitting on them. If their seats are uncomfortable and the arrangement is not correct, students will obviously be distracted. When I go to the class, my first concern is to check whether all the seats are in good order. Then I alter the existing seating arrangement to meet my needs and the needs of my students. I've discovered that finding the correct arrangement plays a vital role in improving the effectiveness of the lesson that I plan to give.

The author is an ESL teacher, who has taught English for the last six years in a Canadian college based in India. Neerja is also a freelancer writer. She regularly contributes articles to a locally based current affairs magazine. One of her short stories has been published in a New York based publication's anthology titled Grab Your Tiger.