Desks in U-Shape

A
U-shaped arranged desks indicate a stage. It allows for more students to sit in the front, and can accommodate doubling or tripling
the U-rows. It creates a presentation-centered classroom, where the teacher or students present lessons to the rest of the class. If
you are focusing on presentations, this model works well. A passageway at the vertex of the U is often helpful so you wont have to
travel around the perimeter of the classroom. Note that a U-shaped arrangement requires a large space; if you have a small
classroom with many students to accommodate, forget it.
Desks in Pairs
Pairs are tricky. They seem great from a teachers standpoint since students have instant partners for activities, and the primary
focus is still on the teacher. Students are paired up with either students with similar abilities, or students with opposite abilities, to
complement and help one another. This theory, however, is often detrimental to many students. Would you like to be paired up for
the year with a lazy co-worker? Or a co-worker who constantly outperforms you? Lets face it; schools must teach students to have
tolerance and work together with many types of people, but in the real world, you are rarely forced to work continuously one-on-one
with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable or inferior. Putting students in this stressful one-on-one situation may not be as
kind as it seems.
Desks in Groups
B
Groups of three or four, however, work wonders. Adding more students to the mix alleviates the tension that pairing creates. It
creates both an atmosphere for teacher-centered and student-centered activities. Students can be expected to be silent for a short
period, but realize that they will naturally want to interact with the students in their small groups. You can also encourage
competition between groups by having them name their group and post group progress on specific activities.
Tables as Desks
Tables indicate large group activity. If you expect a silent classroom, do not sit students at tables. Tables are for interactive, projectbased classrooms where students spend much of the time discussing, planning, and creating. You dont need actual tables, either;
putting groups of desks together permanently gives the same effect. But be sure no students end up with their backs to the board or
overhead projector during teacher-centered moments.
Classic Rows:
C
The classic row set-up places students in an audience collectively focused on traditional teacher-centric lessons as the day goes
along. It's relatively easy for teachers to spot chatty or misbehaving students because every child should be facing forward at all
times. One drawback is that rows make it difficult for students to work in small groups.
Full Circle:
It's unlikely that you will want elementary-aged students to sit in a full circle all day every day. However, you may want to have your
students move their desks into a closed circle on a temporary basis in order to hold a class meeting or hold a writer's workshop
where students will be sharing their work and offering each other feedback.
Cooperative Clusters:
Many elementary school teachers utilize cooperative clusters, generally disappearing as students move into junior high school and
beyond. If, for example, you have twenty students, you could organize their desks into four groups of five, or five groups of four. By
strategically forming the groups based on student personality and work style, you can have students work together cooperatively
throughout the day without having to take time to rearrange desks or form new groups every day. One drawback is that some
students will get easily distracted by facing other students and not the front of the class.

Here are some of the different ways a teacher can arrange desks. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed:
Desks in U-Shape
U-shaped arranged desks indicate a stage. It allows for more students to sit in the front, and can accommodate doubling or tripling
the U-rows. It creates a presentation-centered classroom, where the teacher or students present lessons to the rest of the class. If
you are focusing on presentations, this model works well. A passageway at the vertex of the U is often helpful so you wont have to
travel around the perimeter of the classroom. Note that a U-shaped arrangement requires a large space; if you have a small
classroom with many students to accommodate, forget it.
Desks in Pairs
Pairs are tricky. They seem great from a teachers standpoint since students have instant partners for activities, and the primary
focus is still on the teacher. Students are paired up with either students with similar abilities, or students with opposite abilities, to
complement and help one another. This theory, however, is often detrimental to many students. Would you like to be paired up for
the year with a lazy co-worker? Or a co-worker who constantly outperforms you? Lets face it; schools must teach students to have
tolerance and work together with many types of people, but in the real world, you are rarely forced to work continuously one-on-one
with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable or inferior. Putting students in this stressful one-on-one situation may not be as
kind as it seems.
Desks in Groups
Groups of three or four, however, work wonders. Adding more students to the mix alleviates the tension that pairing creates. It
creates both an atmosphere for teacher-centered and student-centered activities. Students can be expected to be silent for a short
period, but realize that they will naturally want to interact with the students in their small groups. You can also encourage
competition between groups by having them name their group and post group progress on specific activities.
Tables as Desks
Tables indicate large group activity. If you expect a silent classroom, do not sit students at tables. Tables are for interactive, projectbased classrooms where students spend much of the time discussing, planning, and creating. You dont need actual tables, either;
putting groups of desks together permanently gives the same effect. But be sure no students end up with their backs to the board or
overhead projector during teacher-centered moments.
Classic Rows:
The classic row set-up places students in an audience collectively focused on traditional teacher-centric lessons as the day goes
along. It's relatively easy for teachers to spot chatty or misbehaving students because every child should be facing forward at all
times. One drawback is that rows make it difficult for students to work in small groups.
Full Circle:
It's unlikely that you will want elementary-aged students to sit in a full circle all day every day. However, you may want to have your
students move their desks into a closed circle on a temporary basis in order to hold a class meeting or hold a writer's workshop
where students will be sharing their work and offering each other feedback.
Cooperative Clusters:
Many elementary school teachers utilize cooperative clusters, generally disappearing as students move into junior high school and
beyond. If, for example, you have twenty students, you could organize their desks into four groups of five, or five groups of four. By
strategically forming the groups based on student personality and work style, you can have students work together cooperatively
throughout the day without having to take time to rearrange desks or form new groups every day. One drawback is that some
students will get easily distracted by facing other students and not the front of the class.
Remember that choosing a desk arrangement is never set in stone. Rethink arrangement when your students need to refocus or when
their learning styles on a whole favor a different environment.
Sources:
http://kristy-acevedo.suite101.com/classroom-organization-ideas-a56948
http://k6educators.about.com/od/classroomorganization/p/deskplacement.htm

1. What desk formation helps to

alleviate the tension that pairing
causes.

1. What desk formation helps to

alleviate the tension that pairing
causes.

1. What desk formation helps to

alleviate the tension that pairing
causes.

2. What is one of the benefits of using

a circle formation?

2. What is one of the benefits of using

a circle formation?

2. What is one of the benefits of using

a circle formation?

3. Why is working in pairs tricky?

3. Why is working in pairs tricky?

3. Why is working in pairs tricky?

4. What is one of the downsides to

using clusters?

4. What is one of the downsides to

using clusters?

4. What is one of the downsides to

using clusters?

5. If you have a small classroom, what

desk formation should you forget
about using?

5. If you have a small classroom, what

desk formation should you forget
about using?

5. If you have a small classroom, what

desk formation should you forget
about using?

6. This particular formation requires

strategic formation.

6. This particular formation requires

strategic formation.

6. This particular formation requires

strategic formation.

7. How can you encourage

competition between groups?

7. How can you encourage

competition between groups?

7. How can you encourage

competition between groups?

8. What gives the same effect as

tables?

8. What gives the same effect as

tables?

8. What gives the same effect as

tables?

9. What desk formation is good for

keeping discipline?

9. What desk formation is good for

keeping discipline?

9. What desk formation is good for

keeping discipline?

10. Elementary ages students

shouldnt be in this formation on a
daily basis.

10. Elementary ages students

shouldnt be in this formation on a
daily basis.

10. Elementary ages students

shouldnt be in this formation on a
daily basis.

11. Why are students with opposite

abilities often paired up?

11. Why are students with opposite

abilities often paired up?

11. Why are students with opposite

abilities often paired up?

12. Which formation is suitable for

large group activity?

12. Which formation is suitable for

large group activity?

12. Which formation is suitable for

large group activity?

13. Which formation is good for the

traditional teacher-centered class?

13. Which formation is good for the

traditional teacher-centered class?

13. Which formation is good for the

traditional teacher-centered class?

14. What desk formation works well

for focusing on presentations?

14. What desk formation works well

for focusing on presentations?

14. What desk formation works well

for focusing on presentations?