If rows of desks are the only option available, you can still encourage cooperative learning with this traditional desk layout. Teachers working with a small space often face greater design challenges. PowerGistics charging stations have a sleek, vertical design that takes up less than half the square footage of a typical charging cart.

Students can quickly locate the books they want without crowding in close locations for a prolonged period. "name": "PowerGistics" Powergistics 2022 All Rights Reserved. Too much visual stimuli can exhaust students and hinder their intellectual engagement throughout the day. Discover more teacher-tested ideas on TpT.

Their quick deployment is ideal for classroom routines where students must return or retrieve devices safely and timely. Laura recommends providing a home base for each student and offering flexible seating options around the room that students can use at any time theyd like. Spread your books throughout the room with their covers face-out. She believes that these non-traditional desk arrangements encourage students to be more creative, think analytically, and have more fun at school. Position bookcases, worktables, filing cabinets and easels to make individual areas for quiet work. The traditional approach to education places the teacher at the front of the classroom and students in rows of desks. "author": { }, Current layout trends are developing into long-term efforts to create functional spaces and reduce infection risks during cold and flu season. }, "@type": "ImageObject", The charging stations at PowerGistics offer an intelligent solution forsafe and efficient design. And sometimes, seating isnt even the best option for a student. Floor space is precious when this space is limited, your walls can be a significant game-changer. "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/01-Why-Students-Should-Leave-Laptops-at-School.jpg", "mainEntityOfPage": { While many old tactics for effective and collaborative classroom design are now obsolete due to safety guidelines, we can still use their insights to create better designs for students. Rather than enforce organization, you can model routines and set expectations for students to follow. When deciding how to set up the desks in their classroom, you might have some goals in mind. Teachers who need to maximize classroom space must still create safety-compliant layouts that can support different learning situations. Student desks should be spaced a minimum of 6 feet apart significantly reducing the available floor space for other equipment and supplies. Students can pivot in their chairs to face the center of the room a perfect area for group instruction or student presentations. We believe safety is a top priority when designing a classroom. The following ideas can help you create safe and effective classrooms, even when space is limited. Join our community of educators and These routines will limit traffic throughout the space, create smooth transitions and reduce infection risks during cold and flu season. Today, arranging your desks in rows might be the easiest option for social distancing especially in a small classroom. } Assign students to teams and adopt creative uses of technology. "@type": "BlogPosting", TpT is an open marketplace where educators buy, sell, and share original teaching materials. Check your district or state COVID-19 spacing requirements for guidance on how far apart to place desks in group pods. Current layout trends are developing into long-term effortsto create functional spaces and reduce infection risks during cold and flu season. "@id": "/guide-to-classroom-design/" "description": "To maximize space in classrooms of any size, teachers need to be critical of how they design these rooms. Maintain 6 feet of space between desks with markings. Remove unnecessary furniture and explore more intuitive ways to organize. When you remove nonessential items from the classroom, you create a larger space where students can focus without distraction. While you want to limit day-to-day desk movement to maintain a 6-foot distance, you can still implement changes in the layout at various points throughout the year. When a task is complete, you should immediately put the materials in their correct location. Depending on student needs, teachers can use these walls to establish safer desk arrangements or create focused learning areas. Teachers require innovative ways to organize especially in small classroom spaces. Or perhaps youre hoping to support classroom management by minimizing the chances of students getting distracted. Classroom Setup Ideas: Desk Arrangements That Build Positive Classroom Climate. After a few weeks, you should notice whether the missing equipment was critical for student success. You can position the charging stations on either side of the room to increase social distancing and reduce congestion in a tight location. "dateModified": "2021-06-21" Thats why teachers need practical storage and charging solutions for their classroom technology. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright & Trademark Policy | Copyright FAQ | About Us | Contact Us. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. With social distancing standards, most mobile designs became no longer feasible for student safety. Organize your school year so layout changes can still occur, just on a more controlled basis. The TpT Blog "headline": "A Guide to Classroom Design: Maximize Space and Limit Traffic", Perhaps youre looking to encourage more student collaboration. Of course, flexible seating isnt for every teacher or for every student. With flexible seating, traditional seating charts are replaced with seating arrangements that allow the students to sit where they choose. I know it can stress some teachers out, but there is so much value in having kids sit with a group, she says. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Meaningful Work for Students Serving In-School Suspension (ISS), Tips and Tricks for Using Mystery Pictures in Your Classroom, 6 Tips to Instill a Growth Mindset in Your Students, 15 Classroom Decor Resources and Bulletin Board Ideas, the way students interact with each other throughout the day, how easily the teacher will be able to circulate to each of the students. "logo": { Thankfully, classroom designs can still facilitate effective collaboration even when teachers must follow safety guidelines. Teachers need classroom layout ideas that support social distancing and help students achieve academic success. The level of engagement bumps WAY up when we give kids time to talk and process with members of a group., When it comes to classroom setups, variety is the name of the game for Caroline Koehler. Consider the following learning situations that your classroom design can better accommodate with different desk arrangements: Plan your lessons ahead of time so you can arrange desks in the correct position before students arrive. Seats should be placed in rows perpendicular to the main teaching wall and face away from their fellow group members. Having a few desks pulled forward away from the group helps minimize distractions for students that need it., Kris of Pathway 2 Success tends to arrange desks in a horseshoe, too especially when holding group conversations. All PowerGistics charging stations have a space-saving vertical design that can transform with stands, rollers or a wall mount. Students in each group should face one another without having their desks touch. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. When each student in every classroom requires access to laptops, tablets or other digital devices, small classrooms must face another obstacle in their design plans. The products excellent cord management eliminates tangled or damaged cords and limits potential cross-contamination. Keep reading for ideas on ways you can set up your classroom layout to meet these goals. Of course, this can come with some side talking so be sure to establish ground rules at the outset. My goal in seating students in a semicircle has always been to strengthen relationships, facilitate meaningful conversations, and remind learners that every voice matters. Thats why reducing the amount of clutter is the simplest way to make a small classroom bigger. Necessary cookies are essential for the website to function properly. Access to technology has become crucial in the classroom in recent years. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. She works with autistic students and students with specific learning and cognitive disabilities, and loves organizing her students desks into smiley faces, basic shapes, and even letters for creative classroom seating arrangements. Students can easily maintain their space, and teachers can effectively prevent germ and bacteria spread. Each piece of furniture, equipment and even decoration should serve a purpose for students. Its crucial for students to feel comfortable in the classroom, meaning its OK to include some fun in the design! For additional safety, position Plexiglas dividers or movable whiteboards between each group. In the past, many teachers advocated for flexible learning environments that emphasized mobility and cooperative learning. If the perimeter of the classroom contains a lot of built-in bookcases, cabinets and cubbies, consider inward-facing desks instead. Group pods are a classroom setup that involves grouping three to five student desks together to encourage small group collaboration. Classes that prioritize teacher-centered instruction may benefit from a different approach, however. Make cabinets and bookcases more accessible. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Large, bulky charging carts pose many challenges for classrooms looking to limit traffic a single cart can take up a lot of space, causing students to crowd in a single area and increase the risk of germ spread.