Classroom seating arrangements

After reading this blog: http://brianaspinall.com/?p=1089 and discussing with @avivaloca via Twitter here are my thoughts:

First and foremost, there's no better way to set up your classroom. We must do what works for us and what we're comfortable with. I am not writing this post because I think I'm an expert. I am writing this post because a Twitter friend asked for my opinion and I can't give it with only 140 characters.

I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses. One of my strengths is definitely having a good classroom management (translated from ''gestion de classe''). After working with kids for 16 years, I've learned a few tricks. I can, without a doubt, say that the way you set up your classroom can make or break your classroom management.

That's why my seating arrangements are always in line with what I want to teach. Here are many examples of how I set up my classroom (there's no particular order).

#1 Group projects = group or clusters of desks (http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2015/02/12/010-velos-stationnaires-classes-ecole-jeanne-sauve-ottawa.shtml). You can see that my classroom is set up so that students that are in a team are sitting together. Sometimes they get to choose their groups and sometimes I do. Sometimes they choose one partner and I choose the others.

#2 Individual work that leads to an indivudal test = single files of desk (some disagree with this but individual work is a skill that students will use forever) Also, it's not true to think that all students like to be paired up. Introverts need time away from others to recharge.

#3 Most of the time, students are 2 by 2 facing the Activboard. After 25 ClassDojo points (which are directly related with the skills being evaluated on their report card), they get a ticket. With that ticket, they can choose a reward. The reward can be used to choose their neighbour. It can also be used to play in the gym for a recess.

Option #2 and #3 allows me to use my speed ladders and do daily physical activity with them because there's lots of space in between the rows.

#4 Sometimes, when I want to teach collaboration, I tell them they have 15-20 minutes to set up the classroom the way they want it. They get to choose their neighbours (as many as they want) and they get to choose their space.

Like I said, there are no right or wrong ways to set up your classroom. This works for me. Let's try to not impose our seating arrangement ways because what works for you might not work for everybody. Let's learn from eachother with open dialogue.