Chapter 11 page 227
Concentric
U’s
Attention. All students can see the center
of the room, which makes it easy for
the teacher to maintain attention when
talking.
Teacher monitoring of students during
whole-class activities. Because
teachers can see all the students’
faces, they can more readily monitor
students’ attention and understanding.
Collaboration. Adjacent students can
work in pairs, usually without
moving their desks much, as desks
usually must be close together.
Discussions. A strength of this format is
that most students can look at the
person who is speaking. The U
format encourages students to talk
directly to each other, as they are
looking directly at each other.
Epistemological implications. This
arrangement emphasizes the
importance of students talking
directly to each other, and it also
allows for collaborative knowledge
construction by pairs of students.Circulation. It is to easy for the teacher to
move around to talk with students in the
inner U, but it can be harder to get to the
students in the outer U. This arrangement
can be crowded, because the space in the
center of the inner U is not being used, so
the desks must be fit into a smaller area.
Attention: When students are doing
individual work at their seats, they may be
distracted by their partner.
Collaboration. Work in groups of 3 or 4 is
difficult.Arranging Other Furniture, Equipment, Supplies, and Décor
Student desk arrangements are not the only important component of the physical layout. Teachers
must also decide where to place (1) the teacher’s desk, (2) any additional tables or other furniture, (3)
computers or other equipment, (4) materials and supplies students use regularly, such as art supplies,
materials for science experiments, and pencil sharpeners, and (5) special centers that the teacher might
create, such as a library corner. Teachers also plan the room’s décor, including materials on walls (such as
posters or students’ work) and items placed around the room (such as plants, aquaria, or student art work).
The best physical layout for teachers’ classrooms depends upon the teacher’s goals, the shape of the room,
and the physical constraints of the classroom (i.e. where outlets and internet connections are, they type and
size of furniture, the size of the room) (Carter and Doyle, 2006). Some principles that can guide teachers as
they arrange their classrooms are discussed below (Evertson, Emmer & Worsham, 2003; Weinstein &
Mignano, 2007; Savage & Savage, 2010).
Creating adequate space for students and for teachers to interact with students. Students need
adequate space to learn, individually and collaboratively. Students need enough desk space and space to put
their personal belongings so that they do not feel cramped. Teachers can increase involvement in lessons by
making sure students have enough space among them to be able to focus on the lesson.
Teachers should arrange the furniture in ways that allow them to circulate and interact with all
students, especially those who are seated in the back and on the perimeter. If students will sometimes come
to the teacher’s desk to ask questions, the teacher should make sure there is enough room for students to
stand or sit without being in other students’ way. One way to generate needed space in the classroom is to
set aside or remove furniture that is not needed. If a table is not being used, the teacher can ask the
administration to remove it from the classroom. Teachers who rarely use their desk can move it to the side