I had the opportunity to visit several classrooms in my building. Two years ago when we moved into this school building, teachers were given the option of having tables or desks. About half of the teachers chose desks and half chose tables. In the rooms I visited I saw several different seating arrangements with tables and desks. One teacher had her desks arranged in a semi-circle and another teacher had his desks in rows. There were teachers with tables in a U shape and other teachers that had their desks arranged in rows, with two students per table. Finally, I saw another teacher who had her students sitting four to a table.
Through my observations, it appeared that the teachers who had tables were able to move around the classroom much easier than the teachers with desks. There was more empty space in the rooms with the tables, so both teachers and students were able to maneuver with ease. This did allow for smoother transitions when students had to turn in work, sharpen pencils or leave the classroom.
In my observations and discussions with teachers, the teacher that had tables used more cooperative learning and grouping. The teacher that had her desks in a semi-circle had the students work with partners and the teacher who had his students sit in rows appeared to use the least amount cooperative learning and grouping. He said that he did use it, but not on a regular basis.
All of the teachers had four student computers in the room and they were all lined up in the back of each teacher's classroom. Each teacher also had a laptop, smart board and projector. During follow up conversations I learned that most teachers use their laptop, projector and smart board and do not use the student computers. If a teacher wants all of the students to work on computers, he or she signs out one of the computer labs. The position of the computers in all of the rooms I observed made it apparent that they were not a large part of the teachers' instruction.
Room arrangements can help a supervisor understand a teacher's instructional techniques as well as plan professional development opportunities. If a teacher has his or her students sitting in rows and does incorporate cooperative learning, grouping and student interaction, this would be noted during an observation and discussed during a post-observation conference. As a supervisor, if I observed that many of my teachers were not incorporating these strategies, I would plan professional development which would train my teachers on how to use these strategies effectively.
It is important to realize though that just because a teacher has his or her room arranged a certain way, does not mean that it stays that way. As a teacher, I move my students and change my room arrangement as needed. Even though a teacher had his or her room set up in rows on the day I did my observation, that does not mean it always looks that way and that the teacher does not use cooperative learning and grouping. That is why I had follow up conversations with the teachers to learn more about their arrangement and instructional style. When doing an observation it is important to realize that you are only seeing a snapshot of that teacher's instruction.
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ReplyDeleteNice to see that teachers are using coopertive learning and how great that they have access to technology and Smart Boards. Using cooperative groups with the interactive boards is such a powerful way to instruct and prompt student engagement. Also, your comment stating that the desk arrangements could change depending on the instructional need was very insightful.
Here are some additional ideas that may be helpful to you as you continue developing observational skills.
Architects and environmental engineers purport that how space is used makes a difference in how people function. Consequently, teachers need to make the most effective use of classroom and school space, keeping in mind the purpose of their room arrangement. How classrooms are arranged illustrates how the teacher plans to instruct.
Consider four illustrations of room arrangement presented by Jacob Getzel (Saphier, Halley-Speca, Gower, 2008).
1. Empty learner—rectangle room arrangement. This “teacher-centered,” conventional room arrangement ---desks in rows—gives students the clear signal that the teacher is the primary “source of knowledge” and will dispense knowledge to the students; expecting little interaction from the students.
2. Active learner—movable furniture, desk arrangements can be reconfigured easily. This arrangement represents a “student-centered” learning approach.
3. Social learner—circular classroom. Learning occurs through interpersonal interactions created by a community atmosphere fostered within the circle.
4. Stimulus-seeking learner—learning stations, private study places, and public areas support project-based learning.
Many teachers today embrace the “active learner” approach to room arrangement. In response to cooperative learning and differentiated instruction, they configure desks for 4/5 member cooperative learning groups or small instructional groups for teaching, enrichment, reteaching, or tutoring.
Whether the class is arranged by partners, as a circle, in clusters, in rows, around the perimeter, in a “u,” or in centers, the important point is that there is a purpose or rationale for use that is linked to curricular goals. Reasons for desk arrangements need to move beyond the “this is the way I was taught” approach or just for the need of a change. Use of physical space is as critical to the class as set design is to a play—it sets the stage for interactions.
Besides, desk arrangement, the organization of resources and technology needs to support instructional goals as well. Are supplies easily accessible for students working in groups? Are protocols for how students are to obtain supplies or use technology resources clearly established? Answers to these questions are key to keeping the flow of class operations moving smoothly and instructional time at maximum levels.
Finally, as physical space is arranged, teachers should address principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to optimize support for students with disabilities. Does space allow for wheel chair accessibility? Does the desk arrangement support a sign language interpreter, if needed? Are bulletin boards purposeful and not distracting to students with ADD? Have students been strategically assigned to seats in a room arrangement that reduces behavior management issues, particularly if students with emotional problems are included? Is the physical arrangement supportive of small teaching groups or tutorials to help students with learning disabilities?
As an administrator you will visit classrooms routinely. By just doing a quick scan of how the physical space is used, you can gather quite a bit of information about the type of learning environment the teacher has created. You will be able to get a sense of the teacher’s approach to learning as well as how much it promotes student engagement for all learners.