I got to thinking about this this morning, "Why have we traditionally arranged our classroom's desks in nice, neat, straight rows and columns?"
Despite some movement away from that traditional configuration, the majority of teachers still use the "row model" to organize their students.
Although I began experimenting with alternative arrangements the last 6 or 8 years I was in the classroom, I used the traditional model most of my career. Changing from that model was not the easiest thing I've ever done. The kids had to learn how to function in an environment unlike that to which they were accustomed. I had to be very patient and nurturing during that transition. Further, it was an adaptive process for me, too. Handling a classroom that is not neatly organized in rows is not the same, from learning how to manage student interaction to carrying out simple things like distributing and collecting materials.
It is my feeling, however, that the eventual results were very much worth the effort. I felt a more interactive relationship developed among the kids as well as between me and my students. There were conversations about math. I think the atmosphere was more respectful and cooperative. There is research which seems to show that kids may ask more questions when they are able to establish face-to-face contact.
Changing classroom arrangements can shift the focus in the room. In the "rows" configuration, everything points to the teacher. The teacher is the master of the room. I've known teachers who could have put a transparent plastic wall between them and their students (like the Bubble Boy in the Seinfeld episode) and it wouldn't have altered the interplay in their rooms at all. By rearranging things, you can put more attention on the kids not only as learners, but also as "teachers". You put everybody in the same boat, so to speak.
Traditional linear rows do not encourage collaboration among students, they were never meant to. Neither do they foster student interaction or cooperative relationships between students and teachers. But, they do simplify classroom management. Your seating arrangement may tell your students where you think everybody stands in your classroom. "Classroom management experts and experienced educators say the decisions teachers make about ... the physical arrangement of the classroom can have an impact on classroom discipline and the effectiveness of instruction."*
So, anyway, why do we continue to be dominated by the "row model"? I expect it's because it's what we know. Most of us have not really experienced anything else. That's the way it's always been done. What else would you do? Then, too, something as simple as the classroom furniture may be a factor. Many schools, especially older secondary schools, are still furnished with the one-piece desk/chair units which don't lend themselves to flexible arrangements.
Ultimately, how teachers choose to arrange their classrooms depends on an understanding their own styles and the needs of their students. The classroom should be a comfortable, relaxed learning space for everybody.
*Dunne, Diane. "Do Seating Arrangements and Assignments = Classroom Management?" Education World. http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr330.shtml, 09/10/2004
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