Ok …so where were we up to?
Ok yes you had drawn out the plan of your classroom – set out the fixed items on the plan and decided where you wanted to be! Good start …just like setting up a gun turret at the front complete with searchlight!
Ok so the desks are arranged in the class – everyone can move around and so can you. The only EXTRA that you may want to consider and which will dominate your class arrangement to some degree will be Wheelchairs and or standing frames if you have any children that use them. However you will / should have accounted for that in your floorplan – and yes they need loads of manoeuvring room around their space.
Now we come to where to place the children – you should have this planned out BEFORE the first day. Don’t fall into the trap of letting them sit “where they wish” as it never works and you will just cause problems for yourself as it will quickly need sorting out. By planning in advance you may need a few tweaks but by enlarge you should be on the right road….and it also send an early message of who’s in charge!
Your first point of reference is the notes from the previous teacher. He or she will / should have given you a summary of the class. Their academic levels and also any pertinent information that you may find useful. If there is nothing about who sits where or who argues etc then go and ask them….they will be happy to let you know.
If you have been at the school for a while you will know who’s who and if it is a new school make sure you get to speak to the previous teacher before the term starts.
Based on this information then split up the arguers and the “great friends but they chat too much” pupils. On your plan write their names behind the places at the desks you have drawn on your plan. Don’t forget – you need to even plan WHERE in a group someone sits as well as which group it is!
Once you have split up the obvious candidates then you can look at the others in your class. Try to get a good mix of boys and girls in a group and make sure you never have a group of all boys and 1 girl and vice versa!
So what happens if you have a mixed year class….well nothing really. Just group them in a mix of both year groups. Its good for a social mix, the older ones can help the younger ones and they all get to know each other better. You are wanting a good CLASS atmosphere…the whole class – if you split on year group lines then you will end up with an us and them (which obviously you don’t want)
Here’s a tick list of things to consider when you think you have sorted your groups
- Any wheelchairs etc catered for?
- Arguers and chatty best friends split?
- Medical issues – hearing / sight problems addressed (usually near or at the front)
- Group mix of boys and girls (as far as possible)
- No year group divisions ( I recommend)
- Ability mix….I quite like to do this.
- Can everybody see?…try it out sit in chairs around the class – can you see?
You now have your classroom setting pretty much sorted – take a walk out and then walk back in again…how does it look? Can you move pretty easily around the room? Sit down in different places; what’s the view like? Do you, as the teacher, have a large enough area at the front of the class to actually teach?
Things looking good – when the first day arrives you should be all set and ready (equipment etc is dealt with in another article).
When the children first arrive they will have NO IDEA as to your requirements / expectations – so how do you play it.
Once they have arrived in class and hung their coats up allow them to sit anywhere…..yep anywhere. (don’t worry this is only to get things up and running immediately which is necessary)
This allows you to say good morning etc, introduce yourself if you need to and to take the register and do the dinner register. You will notice that all the friends etc have sat together and mistakenly think this is how its going to be ….haha !
When the registers are done then its time to start moving the children to their new places……do it slowly and clearly (it will take about 5 to 10 mins )
From this point in you have your planned classroom arrangement and its up and running – from your point of view its on a trial. Most of it will be ok but you may need to tweak a few placings – let me give you an example.
“I had a mixed yr3 / yr4 class….I had gone through all the process as described and on the first day the groups were sorted and I looked out across the classroom. In the course of the next few days I noticed a small Yr 3 boy sat with a group near the back of the class. He was nervous and insecure and basically looked frightened by his surroundings. I decided after a few days to move him to a group much nearer the front and sat him next to a friendly boy in that group….it also gave me a chance to interact with him more and involve him in activities / jokes etc to make him more confident and feel part of the class. It took a while, but I was able to watch him grow both personally and academically – all based on where he was sitting and the effect it had on him.”
Keep your eyes open and make any changes necessary – there shouldn’t be many and don’t forget the children will need to settle into things so don’t be in a rush to make alterations.
Your classroom is now set up…it should be fully operational and function just as you want it.
By putting in the foundations early you can build the learning environment you want and one that works not only for you but also for the children
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Charles