Classroom Maps

Nathan Tanner

If you came into my classroom, youd see one of the seating arrangements (maps) that
follows. While I am likely being generous to myself in assuming that my classroom will have
only 30 student desks, I plan to follow these arrangements as closely as possible. Each seating
arrangement serves particular classroom management, instructional, and learning needs. Below
each seating arrangement I have included my rationale for selecting the respective arrangements.

Seating Arrangement A is commonly referred to by many educators as The Horseshoe.

This seating arrangement will primarily be used during class lectures, modeling, and for Socratic
Seminars. While I do not plan to spend copious amounts of time lecturing to my students, this
arrangement lends itself to teacher mobility, and provides enough space for me to engage
students interactively in the middle of the classroom. Situating the students in a horseshoe while
I am giving explanations, lecturing, or modeling offers students unobstructed views of (me) the
teacher, as well as the whiteboard. In addition, this arrangement gives a teacher multiple avenues
to address proximity during instruction or independent study time. As a teacher I can roam the

Classroom Maps

Nathan Tanner

middle of the classroom, or make my way around the back of the horseshoe to conduct
observations and assist students as needed. By placing students in this seating arrangement, my
hope is also that because all students can clearly see one another that this will help cut down on
disruptive behavior, and encourage students to participate in the lesson. During teacher-student
or student-led discussions (and/or Socratic Seminars), this seating arrangement allows students to
see and hear each other easily, and gives me space to roam the room to moderate.
Additional benefits to this seating arrangement include the ability to conduct quick
Think-Pair-Share activities, considering that students sitting in the front row of the horseshoe can
simply turn around to work with their peer behind them. This arrangement also can prove useful
to peer-grade small assignments or quizzes, considering that the front and back rows of each
piece of the horseshoe can quickly exchange papers and grade one anothers work.

Seating Arrangement B is essentially an Island model of desk placements. I plan to use

this seating arrangement during classes that involve more group work, collaborative learning,

Classroom Maps

Nathan Tanner

and class projects that involve research, reading, and problem solving. Using the island model
makes it easy for student groups to collaborate on projects together, while leaving ample space
for me to wander the room to meet individual students and group needs. I have chosen to put
desks in groups of three as opposed to four because having spoken with a handful of teachers
during my school observation visits, there is a collective consensus that groups of three
contribute to more collaborative learning, and less frequent behavioral issues. In their
experience, veteran teachers with whom Ive spoken say that groups of four or larger often rely
on just one or two students, cliques can develop, and some students inevitably get left out. By
having groups of three, they say, the groups are large enough to manage tasks or assignments,
but small enough to be inclusive of all group members.
I would not use this seating arrangement during longer stretches of instructional time
i.e. during lecture, extended modeling exercises, or teaching learning strategies. This is because
in groups scattered across the room, it is possible that it could be more difficult for students to
pay attention, more distractions could occur, and valuable information could be lost. Instead, I
see this seating arrangement as a way for students to engage primary source readings, work on
graphic organizers, complete term projects, and prepare research presentations. This arrangement
allows students to feel connected to their groups and hopefully develop a greater sense of
community as they communicate together and work cooperatively.