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The following is from 17 years personal experience Which seating arrangement is the best? This question has been asked by teachers and will continue to be a debated topic. Traditional or row, grouping or cluster, U-shaped, and circle arrangements are the top four classroom seating plans I have witnessed. Although each has its own strength and weakness, one truism is that having some type of plan is needed. Seating arrangements are, indeed, important in the classroom because they assist with interaction and help with controlling behavior/classroom management. First, interaction between the teacher-student as well as student-student are crucial. Traditional row arrangement works well for teacher-student as students sit facing the teacher who is at the front of the class. This set-up is especially useful in learning English as a second language courses during the engagement process as focus is on the teacher’s showing students visuals, such as pictures or videos to elicit vocabulary and get students talking. Facing the teacher, therefore, allows for students to focus on what is being taught, where students can listen, read the teacher’s lips, repeat words, and see the board or visuals. Meanwhile, student-student interaction, though not best in this arrangement, can be done if desks are moved around or placed in cluster/groups. Within these groups, the interaction is more personal with a few students, allowing each student to interact with one another or with the teacher as he or she walks around. Likewise, shy students who may not feel comfortable speaking in front of the class can be more active. Depending on class size groups can pair up with 2 to 4 other students. Moreover, to encourage each student participates, the teacher can walk around and focus on each student as he or she works with the others to solve problems together. Further, seating arrangements can assist with the teacher’s control of classroom management. The best way to control behavior is with traditional row arrangement aids with minimizing disruptions and cheating, is effective in test taking, and easiest to supervise. A student with a behavioral issue can be moved to the front of the class, for example. In addition, U-shape and circle arrangements and cluster/grouping both have pros and cons. Not only is the teacher able to view the student, but the student is seen by the rest of the class as well. This may be seen as a pro, but noise levels may increase since students are in close proximity. A teacher may be distracted from helping others by stopping to remind students to keep noise levels down. The behavior also depends on class size and age. As learned from this class, adult L2 students who need to learn business English should be more responsible and eager to learn. In conclusion, which seating arrangement a teacher should use is largely based on many factors. Some include what is available, such as classroom size, furniture (tables, chairs, desks), or the total number of students. Nevertheless, regardless of which arrangement is chosen, a teacher and his or her students benefit from one. The classroom will be interactive, and issues with behavior can be reduced if a teacher is planned and focused on helping the students learn.
