EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

Tips for Classroom Organization

Instructions: Read the article about classroom management. Each of the underlined words is a
vocabulary word. Next to the vocabulary word, you will find two words highlighted. Circle which of
the highlighted words has a similar meaning to the vocabulary word. When you are finished, answer
the questions.

As a teacher, the way you organize your classroom is extremely important. Whenever you
decorate or organize your classroom, keep in mind how you can develop your classroom
environment (area) to provide quality (positive) learning.
Student Benefits
The prime (major) benefits of a well-organized classroom will accrue to (help, give to) your
students. Your organization and procedures are, after all, ever-present reminders to the children
of how to behave, how to conduct their business, and how best to be effective without discord
(disharmony) in a group. Respect for others, consideration, efficiency, pride of accomplishment,
security in knowing what, how, when, and where to do somethingall these positive elements
are the hallmarks (signs) and characteristics of students who learn in well-organized classrooms.
Children like a predictable, safe, and orderly (organized) environmentand they like going to a
school that provides that environment. For these reasons alone, it behooves (is good) any teacher
to pay close attention to good organization.
Teacher Benefits
Aside from the benefits to students, good organization brings powerful help to the teacher. In
fact, it can be truthfully said that the first aide any teacher has is his or her ability to organize
the classroom well.
The immediate benefits of a well-organized classroom to the teacher are clearless wasted time
and therefore more efficiency.
Not so immediately apparent (clear, obvious) , perhaps, are the following very significant
elements:
reduced teacher fatigue (_pressure_)
improved student-teacher relations
improved parent-teacher relations
increased job satisfaction
increased enthusiasm for professional growth
increased student academic progress
Here are three important points to remember when organizing your classroom:
1. Create a positive and safe environment for your students.
2. Create an environment that will maximize (boost) learning.

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

3. Create an environment that will minimize (decrease) the frequency of behavior problems.
Desk Arrangement
Check these suggestions to include in your decision-making when arranging the desks in your
classroom. Remember that the classroom is there for your teaching and the students learning.
Observe how other teachers have arranged their classrooms and choose the arrangement that
best suits your needs and goals.
Desks or tables might be arranged in one of the following ways:
(1) half-circles (maybe also with a front row and a back row)

When would you use this style in the classroom?

Draw this here:

When we have a debate or presentation where the students only

need to hear the speaker or write some notes rather than talk to
other students and interact in groups

Benefits?
Students can see the speakers face clearly and minimize the
amount of distractions caused by groups and creates a lot of
space to move around in for the teacher

Negative things?
The teacher cant reach the students as easily and has to talk
with students face to face when explaining and the students
have a hard time trying to get to their seats because of the
narrow area behind the seats

(2) in groups of four or five

When would you use this style in the classroom?

Draw this here:

x
x

x
x

When I have group work activities and projects

x
x

x
x

x
x

x
x

x
x

Benefits?
Students communicate easily and get the work split up faster
and creates a comfortable atmosphere for the students and helps
the students socialize

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

Negative things?
Students wont pay as much attention to the teacher and will
chat during the class which will result in poor team work and
grades and some students will force their ideas on other team
members therefore some will get stronger while the others
become weaker personality wise

(3) the traditional way, with chairs lined up, one behind the other.
Draw this here:

When would you use this style in the classroom?

When the students need to do individual work like writing and
reading and listening or during exam time

Benefits?
Gets the students work done faster with less distraction from
other students and makes it easier for the teacher to spot
students with trouble and helps the students pay more attention
to the teacher

Negative things?
Decreases the time students socialize with each other and some
students feel bored and zone out in the middle of class and shy
students will have trouble trying to speak out their mind to the
teacher or classmates.

Arrange your room so you can have eye contact with all your students.
Arrange your desks so that the students attention is on the teacher.
Make sure that each student is able to see chalkboards, whiteboards, and other modes of
visuals.
Desks should not be placed directly in front of windows (if there are no shades on the
windows). The glare can be distracting and difficult on the eyes.
Note where the high traffic areas will be. Try to keep this area free of congestion.(crowdmass)

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

Students need to have easy access to those materials that will be used frequently.
Students should be able to find their work easily and quickly to promote (increase) learning.

Vocabulary Exercises:
Put the underlined words from the text into the table below in ABC order. Then fill
out the rest of the table.
Vocabulary word

Part of speech

Accrue to
apparent
Behooves
congestion
Discord
Environment
Fatigue
Hallmark
Maximize
Minimize
Orderly
Prime

(from the reading)

verb
Adjective
Verb
Noun
Noun
Noun
Noun
Noun
Verb
Verb
Adverb
Adjective

Promote
Quality

Verb
Positive

Idea (meaning)
Help-give to
Clear- obvious
Is good
Crowd- mass
disharmony
area
Pressure
Sign
Boost
Decrease
Organize
Major
Increase
positive

True / False / Not Given

1. How you organize the space in your classroom can affect the students. T
2. Children can learn about organization from how you, the teacher, are
organized. NG
3. Children like many posters and decorations which have bright colors. NG

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

4. Interesting seating arrangements benefit the teacher only. F
5. Having an interesting and organized classroom possibly leads to liking your
job more. T
6. Even though designing your classroom in an organized style wastes time, you
will become more efficient as a teacher. F
7. Desks should not be in front of windows because the children will be
distracted by what is happening outside the classroom. F
8. Teachers should always be able to see the children in the class. T
9. The easier it is to move around the classroom will make the students smarter.
T
10.Organizing the classroom looks nice, but it has very little effect on the
learning that happens in the class. F

Short Answers:
1. List the three ways mentioned in the reading to set up your classroom, and
give an example of when this arrangement might be helpful in the classroom.
a. Half circles, this could be helpful when there are presentations being done
and no team work is needed, or when the teacher wants to do a debate
where all the students can see the speaker clearly.
b. In groups of four or five, this is mostly used in team work or group projects
because its easier to communicate between team members and helps in
the process of exchanging ideas and information.
c. Traditional way with chairs lined up, one behind the other, this type of
seating is usually used in individual work where students dont need to
communicate with other students and only need to focus on the
worksheets or the teacher to maximize the comprehending process of the
students
2. Why do you think that children like a predictable, safe and organized
environment?
Because that helps them reach what they need or want easily without always
having to ask the teacher for help. It also makes them feel at ease knowing the
place of everything, because they feel at home that way. And having everything
reachable makes it less hazardous and decreases the opportunities of falling and
getting hurt or cut. Furthermore, if the desks all face the teacher the students fell
self-important and cared for since the teacher can spot any troubled student which
results in solving their problems ahead of time instead of having some students fall
behind during some lessons.
3.

Which point in the article is the most interesting to you as a future teacher?
Why?

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

The teachers benefits, because as a future teacher I need to know how to
organize my classroom in an efficient way that is going to serve both me and
my students in a good way.