Teach English in Yinhao Zhen - Baotou Shi

Do you remember when you were a student, you had days when you love where you were sitting, and there were days when you didn't? Also, sometimes you can see your teacher clearly, and sometimes not so much? Although there were pleasant and disappointing moments, seating arrangements are essential in a classroom. It can affect both the teacher and the student. Seating in rows, seating in semi-circle style, and seating in separate tables are the three most commonly used seating arrangements by teachers. Each of these has its advantages and disadvantages. It will be up to the teacher to choose the appropriate seating arrangement that will complement their goal for each class. The first seating arrangement, seating in rows, allow the students to sit in an orderly manner. This arrangement is commonly used in the classroom to this day, especially when the number of students is enormous. With students seated like this, the teachers can move easily around the room. Also, students have no trouble seeing the teacher. However, teachers may want to avoid this seating arrangement if they plan on doing an activity where everybody will stand up and move around. Additionally, since the students are seated in an orderly manner, teachers should be careful not to make a student feel that they are isolated. Seating the students in a semi-circle style makes them have direct eye contact and smooth interaction with the teacher and their fellow students. Also, sitting the students in this style may make them feel not as an individual but as a group where they can share their opinions and ideas freely. When a student stands up and talk, everybody can see them and so the chance of everybody listening is high. Although there are promising benefits, it is better not to use this arrangement in a class where the number of students is significant, and the space is small. It will be difficult to cram the students in this way, but if the number of students and the given area is right for each other, then go ahead. Moreover, teachers should remember that when they go to the inner center, some students only see their back, and they might not hear them properly. Lastly, teachers might choose to seat their students in a separate table manner. This seating arrangement groups the students into different groups, and each one has a separate table. They do this when the class is going to do an activity where the teacher can go to one table and give them individual attention. On the other hand, the other students continue with what they are doing. The teacher, of course, walks around and monitor each group of students. However, teachers may have difficulty grouping the students when they don't want to work with the same students all the time. Also, teaching the whole class as one big group might be hard because they are separated and grouped. Whether the teacher plans on doing a formal lecture or an activity where students become part of their small group, seating arrangements in the classroom are essential to achieve the goal of the teacher. Seating the students in rows, seating them in semi-circle style, and seating them in separate tables are the most used arrangements by teachers. Each one has its uses, but teachers must also be aware of their challenges. With the appropriate seating arrangement, the teacher will have a higher chance of succeeding in their class. Sources: TesolClass.com Retrieved from https://www.tesolclass.com/classroom-management/classroom-seating-arrangements/. Safa Zerin (2009) Retrived from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/61800081.pdf. ITTT International TEFL and TESOL Training (2011) https://db.teflserver.com/eeap/index.php/units/.