Blog Twenty - Seating Charts (Part 1)
In a classroom, students will likely spend a heavy majority of their time at their seats. Their seats generally determine the proximity to their teacher, classmates, and other technology like a whiteboard or projector, as well as how visible they are to the teacher, along with an array of different nuances and effects of a seating arrangement. An assigned seating chart is created by a teacher to try to control these factors and enhance learning. However, some students may prefer to choose their own seats, as they often try to sit with their friends or people they can work with. Many students can also have rivalries with each other outside of the classroom, which is a reminder that students’ interpersonal relationships do not cease to exist outside of the classroom, and it is not likely that they will be set aside easily inside it.
Seating charts are a structured way for teachers to organize students. Classroom management becomes more straightforward when teachers can control and minimize disruptions, ensuring a productive working environment. Often, the more talkative or social students may need to be separated to help them have an easier time focusing, leading to more productivity and engagement with the lesson. And it provides consistency. Students will know as soon as the starting bell rings where exactly they will sit and who they will sit with, giving them something to count on and not have to worry about.
Putting students next to people whom they usually would not talk to otherwise can also help form a strong class culture and allow collaboration to flourish, as students have the opportunity to come out of their shells. In other situations, like a lunch break, most students have no real reason to expand beyond their friend group and may prefer to stick with their established social circles. In a classroom with an assigned seating chart, they already have the first step of being brought together in the same environment, so a seating chart can help them build new connections and interactions they may not have otherwise.
There is the option of having students pick their own seats. This provides them with autonomy and a more self-regulated style of learning, as they have more control over their learning and their results, teaching them the important skill of self-discipline. The responsibility is now on them to make smart choices about where to sit and consider how their choices impact their learning experiences in the classroom.
Allowing students to pick their seats also helps mitigate the issue of possible pre-existing rivalries or conflicts between students, easing collaboration. Plus, when students sit with people they have chosen, this likely means that they trust their peers around them, especially students with more introverted tendencies, who may feel more comfortable having a say in where they sit.
The interesting bit about this debate of whether or not to assign students a seat rather than allowing them to pick is that there are many different outcomes and aims of seating charts. For example, courses in which the objective is to keep students more independent would likely go for assigning students in rows rather than smaller groupings. In contrast, those focused on collaboration may prefer seating students in small groups. The factors to consider in this topic: the size of the classroom itself, where the focus is supposed to be (on the teacher or each other), visibility, and so much more make it so that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to seating arrangements in the classroom.
Furthermore, the age range of the students matters here. High school students have had more time to develop their social skills and self-control, while elementary school students may not have as much discipline and may be more energetic, talkative, or eager.
The choice between assigned seating charts and allowing students to choose their seats ultimately depends on the specific needs and goals of the classroom environment.
