Choosing Desk Arrangement

Often new teachers consider desks first, but after years of teaching it might be time for an update. You might prefer one type of desk arrangement, but it may not be productive for different groups of students year to year.

Desks in Rows

Rows indicate a no-nonsense, academic focus. It immediately draws attention to the teacher. If you have having problems keeping students focused on you, perhaps arranging the desks formally will change their perception of your class. If you are constantly moving desks into groups for activities, perhaps it’s time to move out of rows.

Desks in Circles

Circles and/or squares indicate an open, sharing classroom. Students must face one another and cannot hide. This can be nurturing to some students, terrifying to others. If you are having trouble getting a smaller group to share and interact with one another, a circle or square might help.

Desks in U-Shape

U-shaped arranged desks indicate a stage. It allows for more students to sit in the “front,” and can accommodate doubling or tripling the U-rows. It creates a presentation-centered classroom, where the teacher or students present lessons to the rest of the class. If you are focusing on presentations, this model works well. A passageway at the vertex of the U is often helpful so you won’t have to travel around the perimeter of the classroom. Note that a U-shaped arrangement requires a large space; if you have a small classroom with many students to accommodate, forget it.

Desks in Pairs

Pairs are tricky. They seem great from a teacher’s standpoint since students have instant partners for activities, and the primary focus is still on the teacher. Students are paired up with either students with similar abilities, or students with opposite abilities, to complement and help one another. This theory, however, is often detrimental to many students. Would you like to be paired up for the year with a lazy co-worker? Or a co-worker who constantly outperforms you? Let’s face it; schools must teach students to have tolerance and work together with many types of people, but in the real world, you are rarely forced to work continuously one-on-one with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable or inferior. Putting students in this stressful one-on-one situation may not be as kind as it seems.

Desks in Groups

Groups of three or four, however, work wonders. Adding more students to the mix alleviates the tension that pairing creates. It creates both an atmosphere for teacher-centered and student-centered activities. Students can be expected to be silent for a short period, but realize that they will naturally want to interact with the students in their small groups. You can also encourage competition between groups by having them name their group and post group progress on specific activities.

Tables as Desks

Tables indicate large group activity. If you expect a silent classroom, do not sit students at tables. Tables are for interactive, project-based classrooms where students spend much of the time discussing, planning, and creating. You don’t need actual tables, either; putting groups of desks together permanently gives the same effect. But be sure no students end up with their backs to the board or overhead projector during teacher-centered moments.

Remember that choosing a desk arrangement is never set in stone. Rethink arrangement when your students need to refocus or when their learning styles on a whole favor a different environment. Now that you’ve tackled the desk arrangement, it’s time for planning the rest of your classroom environment.

Typical High School Desks in Rows

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