Yesterday, we were discussing with Farmer Brown seating arrangements, and why his desk must be in the line of sight from the window. That started me thinking about seating arrangements in general.
Does the arrangement of desks in a classroom (where we sit) also influence our thinking and classroom dynamic? We all know the typical seating arrangements: ordered rows, horseshoe style, etc. However, does one mode of seating restrict thinking more than the other, or does seating have nothing to do with it?
For example, for reasons that Farmer Brown explained yesterday, in MHS classrooms the teacher's desks is almost always at the front. Would it change our perspective if his desk was in a back corner, or off to the side somewhere? For example, one of our teachers tends to stand up and teach from the doorway and move around, instead of standing at the front of the classroom. Does that influence our thinking at all?
Similarly, does having a more ordered seating arrangement also limit our thinking? In Spanish class today, for example, we came in to observe that our teacher had shifted from rows to a much more open sprawling horseshoe style. Is that shape more conducive to open discussion? I recall that when arranging desks for Moorestown Model UN, one teacher told us that whichever way the desks ended up after setting up for the UN, we could leave it that away (instead of moving the desks back to their original positions).
After all, sitting in a new place does provide a new perspective on the classroom (whether it's staring into Gollum's gaping eyes day after day or looking out the window).
Thoughts?
-Eric W or Comrade W
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6 comments:
Bonjour, Comrade Wei.
Farmer Brown's seating arrangement is in horseshoe style because of the nature of the class. We come in to discuss. During these discussions, we are able to observe the speaker and audience. You can learn a lot from facial expressions, and an open seating arrangements makes this possible. It is habit to look at Farmer Brown in order to sense either his approval/disapproval. If his desk were in the back corner of the room, this wouldn't be possible.
I just googled a bunch of "classroom seating arrangements" and how they affect students. Oddly enough, a bunch of the sites tell me that these patterns are more for the teacher than for us. One formation makes it easier to hand out papers! [http://www.huntington.edu/education/lessonplanning/seating.html] It establishes the teacher as a facilitator, "cop-like" figure, etc..
Au revoir!
Comrade Maliha
(Sam Maliha)
안녕
I definitely believe that where you sit influences your performance in class and your thoughts. I remember the first day in my calc class Mr. Wanamaker said that a student's grade is inversely proportional to the distance between the student's desk and the teacher. Most people would agree that a student sitting right in front of the teacher would be most likely to concentrate better. This example is true in most cases, except for Farmer Brown's classroom since his elaborate decorations succeeded to get my attention sometimes, although I sit directly across Farmer Brown's desk.(Not any more though:D)
I do believe that changing sitting arrangements can affect one's feelings. After all, individuals are the products of experience and the environment(Yay for Lockean liberals!).
Another explanation for teacher's desk being in the center is that it gives him/her more control over the class. I have thought of this topic before, and I concluded that teacher being in the center is somewhat similar to the positions of dictators in communist countries. Being in the front center in a room gives one more attention as well as more authority.
Jennifer Park a.k.a. Comrade Park
I know in Latin class, we change seats every quarter and I think its a good practice. Having a new view and a different distance from the teacher lets you feel like you have a fresh start.
I also have Mr.Wannamaker, and I really don't agree with his philosophy that sitting in the back of the class will have an effect on the students grade. It really depends on how the student learns and how the teacher teaches. Mr.Wannamaker usually puts answers on the board so everyone can see it and has an equal opportunity to learn from it.
I think that there are at least some general requirements when setting up a room. A teacher wants to be able to see the students and what they are doing. In a way, it's another measure taken to ensure that the student is actually paying attention in class. Also, I think that it serves as something new to the classroom. I am actually considering Spanish class to be one of my favorites because it's the only class where I actually change seats. It makes the room more interesting and gives everything sort of a new perspective.
I guess this can also apply to Dr. B's teaching style in euro. He moves around to catch our attention so that we don't end up falling asleep (coughcomradetrainercough).
I certainly think that the classroom set-up can be reflective of what goes on in the classroom itself. For example, in English we have the horseshoe style with Farmer Brown's desk in front. This set-up is conducive to either class discussion or lectures, both of which occur in class. In Spanish I think Dr. Raden's goal is to open discussion a little bit more.
In addition, I think that desk arrangement can be reflective of a teacher's sense of organization. Farmer Brown seems to prefer efficiency and organization in the classroom, even if his personal desk is not as organized. And for those of us in Dr. Raden's Spanish class, I hope I'm not the only one who noticed the fact that the desks aren't exactly orderly. I personally don't prefer having desks blocking the white board and the fact that some desks form a "U" while others are in rows. I prefer the more organized style, but as we have come to know, Dr. Raden isn't necessarily the most "neat" or organized person, and I think his classroom set-up reflects that.
Emily T. (aka comrade T.)
So can we say that the seating arrangement is dependent upon a teacher's habits rather than a student's? Maybe the nature of the class has grown on the teacher, and therefore affects their working style, if that makes any sense!
(Sam Maliha)
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