A Good Place to Learn

1. A Good Place to Learn • Create a space that reflects the learning goals of the work space, the personality, interests, and age of the students who learn there and to create a space that is a comfortable and productive learning environment for all.

2. Desks - versatile • Clustering for small group work • Place in horseshoe or circle for discussions • Arrange in rows for testing Be purposeful about arranging it to match the sort of student interaction you want.

3. Reduce Barriers • A teachers desk and empty student desks are “barriers” between you and your students. Move them, move the students, and/or move yourself.

4. Reduce Distance between You and the Students • If the space is large and the group is small, cluster the group in a section of the room.

5. Monitor Distance between Student Desks • Ensure that students’ desks are arranged so that students can get in and out of their seats and retrieve their materials without bumping into each other or each other’s work. To check on placement sit in one chair and leave it out as if a student were sitting in it. Then sit in the chair or desk behind and/or beside it. Try moving in and out of the second seat. It takes more room than it seems like it should.

6. Check Visibility from Each Seat • Sit at each student location to see what a student sees from that spot in the room. Remove any visual or auditory barriers or distracters from the key instructional areas of the room.

7. Arrange Furniture to Match Desired Student Interaction • Whole class discussion – students need to be where they can see each other • Small Groups – arrange desks to resemble a small table • Rows – use rows if students are taking a test, rows are also easiest for custodial clean-up

8. Your Desk • Put your desk against a wall • Form a small conference area

9. Small Table for Guided Reading and Conferences • If at all possible have a table at which you can conduct small group instruction and also have private conferences with students. Since you want to discuss work and behavior privately, it is wonderful to have a place to do it in the classroom rather than having to go into the hall.

10. Bookcases, Storage Cabinets, and File Cabinets • The placement of these units will be dictated by their size and the types of materials you store in each. Be mindful of safety issues regarding traffic patterns.

11. Supply Center • Easily accessible • The important variable is for you to not have to stop what you are doing to get something students need.

12. High Traffic Areas • Near doors • Pencil sharpener • Supply center • Turning in assignments • …..must be kept clear of furniture

13. Walls, Bulletin Boards, and White Boards • Think vertically • Standards • Agendas • Student work • Frame and hang copies of your diplomas near your desk • Large master calendar with events and assignments

14. Changing the Room Arrangement • Different colors of electrical tape on the floor in his classroom. Front legs go on the colored dots according to the lesson: green dots=group work, red dots=whole class discussion, yellow dots=testing