The teacher tells us to discuss our answers with the person we sit next to. However, my neighbor and I haven’t made a move to discuss it with one another. We have never talked before and don’t even know each other’s names. Why would we change that now? Except, what my neighbor and I failed to realize is that sitting next to new people is an opportunity.
Out of 255 students here at Metea, 82 percent dislike assigned seating and 18 percent enjoy it. Understandably, most students do not enjoy having a seating chart in class. Class is always more enjoyable when you have friends to talk to, but friends can also make you less productive in class. If you don’t have any friends in a class, you may end up sitting alone.
If you view it from a new perspective, assigned seating is a way to improve academic productivity and create a beneficial routine/comfortable environment for students.
When there is a seating chart in class, no student has to worry about choosing a seat for themselves. If you have no friends in that class, no one will know you feel alone. If you are involved in drama or being bullied, you can ask your teacher to not sit by them.
Sitting next to people you normally wouldn’t can help develop a community environment in class. Students now have the chance to meet people they don’t know. Meeting new people can help strengthen or reshape your views and academic abilities. Even if you’re not friends with someone, simply knowing them can better your relationship with people in the class. That way, the class is more comfortable since now you know more people. Now that you know more people, group projects can be fun.
For students who have certain health struggles, assigned seating makes learning more accessible. If a student has poor vision, a teacher can sit that student in the front. If a student has a wheelchair or crutches, a teacher can sit them by the door or in an accessible area. A student who may need additional help can be seated by the teacher or a reliable peer.
Seating charts can also be easily adjusted during the day. If a student is being a distraction or getting distracted, a teacher can move them to a different spot for the day. A student could be having an off day, and a teacher could easily move them to a quiet space for the day. The adaptability of seating charts makes them very effective for classrooms.
For seating charts to be put to best use, teachers should not use them as a punishment. Before a teacher makes a seating chart, they could survey to ask students privately about their preferences and needs to learn best in the classroom.
The teacher is also the one to choose how to set up the desks: if they want to set their seats up in rows or groups/circles, they can. It all depends on the type of classroom persona you want to create and what is best for the class you are teaching.
Rows are usually better if you give your students more independent work and wish for a more quiet environment. Since rows will make all students face forward this can lead to more focused and productive students.
Groups/circles allow more brainstorming and group work. AP or honor classes could definitely benefit from seating charts with groups since higher-level classes tend to indulge in more brainstorming and the challenging of ideas.
A horseshoe or semi-circle seating chart is used less frequently but is still valuable. This type of seating arrangement can lead to more questions and more engagement from students since all students are surrounding the teacher.
When choosing the seating arrangement, the teacher should make a decision based on their teaching style and classroom/student needs.
Teachers shouldn’t view assigned seating as a weapon, and students should not view it as a punishment. Take advantage of all the opportunities a class gives you.
