Desk Organization

 

       When I become a teacher I would like to create a student-centered environment in my classroom. The main focus of a student-centered environment is group work and collaboration. Desk and table arrangement is important when it comes to providing opportunities for group work and collaboration. In a student-centered classrooms, desks are usually in groups of four and there are small group areas around the room. There is usually a centers area, art area, and reading area. For classrooms that do not allow for extra tables for small group areas, students can be asked to place their chairs in a circle in an area of the room. This will allow for group work and collaboration without needing extra tables. In a later post I will discuss more about the importance of small group areas and how they can be arranged around the classroom. It is important as a teacher to make these types of decisions when necessary.

     It is important when setting up desks to arrange them so that all students can look at the whole-group instructions area without having to move their desks. This is necessary so that all students can copy material from the screen onto their paper without having to distract the class by moving. When arranging desks it is also good to remember that high traffic areas should be free of congestion. This will allow for less distraction during class time. Teachers should also leave enough room around the students desks so that they can approach each student at their individual desks if necessary.

Here is a website that provides different arrangements of desks. The website allows you to choose how many students are in your classroom and then provides different arrangements of desks. http://www.classroomdeskarrangement.com/ClassroomDeskArrangement/Welcome.html