How does classroom organization affect learning

The checklists that follow will help you zero in on elements you might want to add or change to make your own classroom more welcoming and learning-friendly. And what feels like a perfect fit one year may feel less so the next as you respond to changes in curriculum and adjust your teaching practices for each new class of students. That said, though, these checklists do include important elements to consider as you organize your classroom space to welcome all children and support their best learning.

If your desk takes up too much space, consider replacing it with a smaller, easily moveable table that has multiple uses. A well-organized classroom sends a clear and positive message to students: This room was created for you, with your specific needs in mind, because you and your learning are important.

So have fun choosing one or two checklist items to work with. My sister recently started teaching sixth grade and she is thinking about adding some furniture besides the tables and chairs to the classroom, so I am glad that I found this article.

Clearly map out for your students what you do to help them learn so that when you do it, they know what you are doing and why, and they will be more willing to help.

An effective classroom manager must be prepared with materials and know how to transition students from one activity to another without wasting time. The number one thing we could do to increase our students' academic performance is to increase the time spent on learning.

Time is chipped away by taking attendance, announcements, summons to the office, restroom breaks, pep rally schedules, class meetings, special presentations, awards ceremonies, celebrations, and a myriad of other things.

Some disruptions and time stealers we cannot avoid, but being successful at managing the classroom also includes managing the time, protecting it, and leveraging it to your best advantage. In Teach Like a Champion , author Doug Lemov effectively demonstrates how to use routines to minimize lost time in activities like handing out papers; he also demonstrates routines to help students train their minds to adopt useful habits and skills, like being able to quickly answer and ask questions.

Channeling student behaviors, interests, and attention into productive learning paths requires intuitive lesson planning. First, focus on how students will be able to demonstrate that they understand and have achieved the learning objective, emphasizes Grant Wiggins, coauthor with Jason McTighe of Understanding by Design. Then build learning activities that lead students to that point.

According to Robert Marzano, an education researcher, the focus of our lesson planning efforts should be getting students to ask and answer their own questions.

Coming up with those types of questions on the spur of the moment can be difficult, but with a little advanced thought, you can incorporate those types of questions into your lesson plans. There are many different types of classroom management, just as there are many different approaches to pedagogy.

Seating Plans. Effective classroom management means a thriving learning environment and dedicated students. Unfortunately - no matter how dedicated you are as a teacher, or how passionate you are about your students and subject, doesn't translate into good classroom management. There are a separate set of skills teachers need in order to successfully control their classroom. Without this skills or understanding of what good classroom management is poor classroom management can take affect, and this is detrimental to student achievement and development.

Perhaps the most obvious, and arguably most complex, component of classroom management is good pupil behaviour. Here are some guidelines on how you can ensure good behaviour in your classroom:. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Lesson plans and good classroom management are practically intertwined. When you have a carefully constructed lesson , it minimises the opportunity for classroom distractions and, if executed well, keeps students on-task and engaged.

Student interaction has a huge impact on how well behaved your class is and as a result, overall classroom management. Seating plans are one of the best preventative measures a teacher can implement and one of the strongest influences they can have on student outcomes and behaviour.

Where students sit in class is critical to how well they perform and there are a multitude of variables that need to be taken into consideration when creating a seating plan and deciding on the layout of your classroom. In order to fully understand how best to seat your students, allowing them to sit where they wish for the first couple of lessons will give you the opportunity to observe how they interact with each other , their behaviour and their preferred seat.

Collecting this knowledge will then allow you to make informed decisions as to where best to seat your class. Key considerations to take into account when creating a seating plan for effective classroom management:. The way in which you decide to organise your desks is dependent on your individual teaching style and the layout of your classroom, however, there are certain factors that will be consistent across every classroom: all students need to be able to see the board clearly, you too need to be able to direct whole class from the front of the room, and there needs to be enough space for you to freely walk around the classroom and observe students whilst working.

Students who have medical passes and need to leave the classroom more frequently are better placed close to an exit so they can leave with minimal disruption or attention being brought to them. SEN students should have enough space for additional support from Teaching Assistants or next to students who are good examples and will be able to provide a helping hand.

The transition area can be a specific location, like the carpet, that students go to while waiting for the next activity. No matter where the space is, it is important that your students know where to go during transition periods.

In short, specific classroom features are relevant to what students are learning. Research shows that students benefit from a well-designed, well-structured classroom. Most importantly, if you find that your students are struggling with the design of your classroom then you must consider rearranging it. Search for:.

Classroom Management for an Effective Learning Environment. Janelle Cox. May 3, Classroom Management. Home Teacher Resources Classroom Management. Share on facebook. Share on linkedin. Share on twitter. Share on print. Benefits of a Well-Designed Classroom According to a study at the University of Salford , a well-designed classroom can boost student performance by up to 16 percent. A well-thought out physical arrangement of your classroom is also important for these reasons: Students learn to respect boundaries.

The organization of classroom materials allows students to retrieve them quickly, which helps to decrease unwanted behavior. Proper room arrangement provides predictably, which is essential for students because students thrive when they are in a comfortable learning environment.