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Physical Lay out of the Classroom

Teachers shouldn’t be afraid of changing the room’s physical layout. The arrangement of desks, for example, may make the classroom a more attractive place to study.

Desk Placement

Most of the classroom space is devoted to the arragement of desks. Althoug most teachers preferences may vary, nearly all of them agrre that the days of the desks lined in neat rows and facing the teacher’s desk  are long gone. Instead teachers now are more imaginative in terms of classroom setting. Here are two of the most widely used desks arragement:

• Some teachers like to arrange desks in cooperative groups of four.
• Others prefer a U-shaped configuration.

Advantages

Changing desk placement has many advantages:

• Some desk placements make cooperative work easier.
• Frequent change of desk placement may revitalize  bored students.
• Using informal way of positioning desks may reduce stress within the classrooom.
• Some desk placements facilitate learning.
• Changing the placement of desks may make the classroom a more attractive place.
• Some arrangements make it possible for teachers to make eye contact with every student and reach each student with ease.

It should be noted, however, that any change should be evaluated and decisions must be made to adopt or make any further changes. If students are not comfortable with a certain deks placement, teachers should reconsider his/her decisions. Only teachers imaginations and students needs are the limits.