Creating the Perfect Seating Plan for Your Classroom

I was usually the only male elementary school teacher in the districts I worked with. Because of this, I was often placed with some of the most troubled students that perhaps just needed a strong male influence in their lives. 

When faced with a classroom of up to 30 students and a few of them needing constant attention to stay on task, I always looked at the classroom seating chart as a treasure map. I will admit that I spent probably an hour every month of the school year trying to figure out a “solution” for student conduct difficulties and academic problems by adjusting the seating plan for the classroom. 

Is there a perfect seating plan for your classroom that will erase behavior problems and help students earn better grades? Maybe. Maybe not. But here are some tips and ideas to try out if you are willing to explore the possibilities.

Give Space to Students Who Need Space (Even If They Don’t Want It)

I had students who just could not focus if they had another desk remotely close to them. It just caused distraction after distraction. With these students, I often placed them in the corner of the rooms to give them the space they needed. And when I say the corners of the room, I mean the very corners. Their desks would be tucked into corners and sometimes 8 to 10 feet away from other students. 

Of course, if you don’t quite have the classroom space for this, you must get creative. I taught in a small trailer attached to the back end of the school in one district. I had almost 30 students, and all the desks were touching at least one other desk just to fit everyone in the room. In this situation, I literally had the students who needed space to cut down on distractions have their desks connected to the mind. Were they getting space? No. But I was there to remind them to get to work constantly.

Paired Seating or Desks Spread Out

Some students work better with other students, either acting as their mentor or being seated next to someone as intelligent and clever as they were. Don’t worry about doing this with all of your students in the classroom or just a few. Some students will want to experience paired seating, and others will not. Just remember you make the rules, and the final decision is yours. 

Rows, Semi-Circle, Horseshoe, Tables, or Something Else

The main goal of a teacher is to keep students actively learning, keep them on task, and eliminate as many behavior problems as possible. The seating design can partially accomplish this, but it also comes down to the teacher and their teaching style. 

What may work for you may not work for other educators. And if anyone questions your seating plan, shrug them off. In your classroom, you are the architect and the designer. It is literally your own little world, and you are in charge. Plus, nothing is set in stone. If you want to change it after a couple of days, do it. Whatever you can do to make this job easier and still see great results, consider it.

If you are interested in learning more helpful professional development ideas and concepts, iAchieve can assist individual teachers or staff. 

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