Desk arrangement is perhaps the most essential decision to be made when deciding how to arrange a school classroom. Before arranging desks, consider your instructional needs. For instance, identify if your class will incorporate mostly whole-group discussion, partner or small group work or if the class will be mostly lecture-based. Arrange the desks accordingly. Use a semicircle to facilitate discussion, use clusters or pairs of desks for small group or partner collaborate and use rows of facing-forward desks for lecture-based instruction.
No matter your preferred methods of arrangement, it is imperative that you and your students have easy access to parts of the classroom, such as the door, windows and other communal spaces, sinks or wash areas. Easy access is a requirement for fire protection plans, but it is also reduces delays caused by crowding and cluster. Also, provide access to accommodate students' individual learning needs. For instance, provide a student with hearing problems easy access to a listening station.
Many educators arrange the classroom to include informal space for a reading corner or, in early education classrooms, for imaginative play. If space allows, create a nook for your students to retreat during free time or break. For instance, place a thick rug or carpet in a corner of the room and arrange a few pillows on the carpet. This area will add a touch of comfort to the classroom, making the environment more welcoming and less-threatening to new students.
Often, educators arrange a wall or corner devoted to student work or interests. For instance, a classroom may include a bulletin board that features students' scholastic, athletic or extra-curricular achievements. Alternatively, or in addition, the classroom might include a bookshelf in which students display their favorite book, an art project or an object for upcoming show-and-tell that engages students and invites them to express personal interests. These sorts of arrangements promote learning and achievements among peers.
It is important for classrooms to visually appeal to students, especially in the early years of schooling, since visual stimulation promotes brain activity and engages students' interests. To achieve a visually-appealing classroom, incorporate lots of color, but also arrange items in the classroom so that there are objects to view in all directions. For instance, hang bright posters and bulletin boards around the entire room, rather than solely at the front of the room. Likewise, place plants, bookshelves and other large objects around the room to evenly arrange the classroom.