Classroom Design: Does it Affect Our Students?

An empty classroom with ten
 chairs and desks, with blue tops,
 facing a whiteboard.

Many teachers see no issue with the way that their classroom is organized if it is pleasant to the eyes. While the aesthetics of a classroom is of great importance, the way it is organized is even more so. Oftentimes, when teachers care only about aesthetic issues, this can lead to seating arrangements that negatively impact their students' attention or their teaching style. If a teacher has more of a focus on lecture-based education, then the row seating should work fine, correct? Well, yes and no. Row seating makes it easy for the teacher to maneuver between students and keep an eye on them. However, it also causes students in the back of the room to pay less attention and have less access to the PowerPoint or visual aid used by the teacher. Think of it like attending a play, the further back you are from the stage the less you are able to make out, part in due to the space and part in due to the people sitting in front of you. Table groupings can be great for teachers who focus on group activities. However, whenever the teacher turns away from the wrong group, there is a high chance for misbehaving to occur. Circular or Semicircular seating can be great for teachers who focus on the use of class discussions. Yet, they can also have some issues with access to visual aid due to the space between the students and the projector. However, this space tends to not be as big of an issue as the issues of space and people placement in row seating. When working with Deaf students, the use of semi-circle seating is imperative. This is due to the fact that ASL is a visual language and students should have clear and easy access to seeing both the teacher and the other students.

I believe that all seating arrangements have positive and negative effects. This means that a teacher should focus on organizing their seating arrangements in ways that will increase productivity regarding their focus on teaching. I am also aware that some teachers may not be able to change the seating arrangement of their room, due to room sharing or other similar reasons. This means that a teacher may have to do their best with what they were given. In cases such as this, it is the teacher's job to make the lesson as engaging as possible. If forced to use a seating arrangement that may not fully fit with their lesson, teachers must do their best to make the lesson a positive learning experience and account for time that may occur if students must switch seats.