EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

Tips for Classroom Organization

Instructions: Read the article about classroom management. Each of the underlined words is a
vocabulary word. Next to the vocabulary word, you will find two words highlighted. Circle which of
the highlighted words has a similar meaning to the vocabulary word. When you are finished, answer
the questions.

As a teacher, the way you organize your classroom is extremely important. Whenever you
decorate or organize your classroom, keep in mind how you can develop your classroom
environment (area / pollution) to provide quality (positive / negative) learning.
Student Benefits
The prime (major/minor) benefits of a well-organized classroom will accrue to (help, give to /
hinder-take away from) your students. Your organization and procedures are, after all, everpresent reminders to the children of how to behave, how to conduct their business, and how best
to be effective without discord (harmony, everyone getting along / disharmony) in a group.
Respect for others, consideration, efficiency, pride of accomplishment, security in knowing what,
how, when, and where to do somethingall these positive elements are the hallmarks (rooms /
signs) and characteristics of students who learn in well-organized classrooms. Children like a
predictable, safe, and orderly (disorganized / organized) environmentand they like going to a
school that provides that environment. For these reasons alone, it behooves (is good for / is bad
for) any teacher to pay close attention to good organization.
Teacher Benefits
Aside from the benefits to students, good organization brings powerful help to the teacher. In
fact, it can be truthfully said that the first aide any teacher has is his or her ability to organize
the classroom well.
The immediate benefits of a well-organized classroom to the teacher are clearless wasted time
and therefore more efficiency.
Not so immediately apparent (vague, unclear / clear, obvious) , perhaps, are the following very
significant elements:
reduced teacher fatigue (guess or look it up in a dictionary: loss of strength and
energy resulting from hard physical or mental work)
improved student-teacher relations
improved parent-teacher relations
increased job satisfaction
increased enthusiasm for professional growth
increased student academic progress
Here are three important points to remember when organizing your classroom:
1. Create a positive and safe environment for your students.

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

2. Create an environment that will maximize (guess or look it up: make it better/improve it)
learning.
3. Create an environment that will minimize (guess or look it up: make it less/reduce) the
frequency of behavior problems.
Desk Arrangement
Check these suggestions to include in your decision-making when arranging the desks in your
classroom. Remember that the classroom is there for your teaching and the students learning.
Observe how other teachers have arranged their classrooms and choose the arrangement that
best suits your needs and goals.
Desks or tables might be arranged in one of the following ways:
(1) half-circles (maybe also with a front row and a back row)

Draw this here:

When would you use this style in the classroom?

-When I need some space to put some activities in class

-Give them a topic for them to debate
-When I want my students to feel comfortable with each
other
Benefits?

-Students have enough space to play and make activities

at the middle of the class (carpet to read on)
-Students will get familiar with each other
-Easy for teacher to reach all students
Negative things?

-Sometimes students need their teacher to stand beside

them while she is advising or teaching them, which
teacher cant do it
-Students at the back cant go in and out easily which
makes it uncomfortable for them

(2) in groups of four or five

Draw this here:

When would you use this style in the classroom?

-When I want students to work together and share

information
-When my class or lesson has a lots of discussions
Benefits?

-Students can help each other and share some stuff

-Students get to know their classmates so they be shy later

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

-Teacher can reach all students

-Students have bigger opportunity to gain more friends
Negative things?

-Distraction for students

-Teacher cant face all students; some students are giving
their teacher their back

(3) The traditional way, with chairs lined up, one behind the other.
Draw this here:

When would you use this style in the classroom?

-Exam time
-Independent work time (reading, writing, etc.)
Benefits?

-Students can focus on their own work

-Hard for students to cheat
-Easy for teacher to move around all students
-If the teacher has a comment on a student, their
conversation will stay between them (private)
Negative things?

-Students need their friends beside them

-People are social; mostly they cant work alone
-No enough space for students to make some activities or
play

Arrange your room so you can have eye contact with all your students.
Arrange your desks so that the students attention is on the teacher.
Make sure that each student is able to see chalkboards, whiteboards, and other modes of
visuals.
Desks should not be placed directly in front of windows (if there are no shades on the
windows). The glare can be distracting and difficult on the eyes.
Note where the high traffic areas will be. Try to keep this area free of congestion. (guess or
look it up: overcrowding)
Students need to have easy access to those materials that will be used frequently.
Students should be able to find their work easily and quickly to promote (guess or look it up:
encourage/support) learning.

Vocabulary Exercises:

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

Put the underlined words from the text into the table below in ABC order. Then fill
out the rest of the table.
Vocabulary word

Part of speech

Accrue to
Apparent
Behooves
Congestion
Discord
Environment

(from the reading)

Verb
Adjective
Verb
Noun
Verb
Noun

Fatigue

Noun

Hallmarks
Maximize
Minimize
Orderly
Prime
Promote
Quality

Noun
Verb
Verb
Adjective
Noun
Verb
Adjective

Idea (meaning)
Help/give to
Clear/obvious
Is good for
Overcrowded
Disharmony
Area
Loss of strength and energy
resulting from hard physical or
mental work
Signs
Make it better/improve it
Make it less/reduce it
Organized
Major
Encourage/support
Positive

True / False / Not Given

1. How you organize the space in your classroom can affect the students. T F
NG
2. Children can learn about organization from how you, the teacher, are
organized. T F NG
3. Children like many posters and decorations which have bright colors. T F
NG
4. Interesting seating arrangements benefit the teacher only. T F NG
5. Having an interesting and organized classroom possibly leads to liking your
job more. T F NG
6. Even though designing your classroom in an organized style wastes time, you
will become more efficient as a teacher. T F NG
7. Desks should not be in front of windows because the children will be
distracted by what is happening outside the classroom. T F NG
8. Teachers should always be able to see the children in the class. T F NG
9. The easier it is to move around the classroom will make the students smarter.
T F NG
10.Organizing the classroom looks nice, but it has very little effect on the
learning that happens in the class. T F NG

Short Answers:

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

1. List the three ways mentioned in the reading to set up your classroom, and
give an example of when this arrangement might be helpful in the classroom.
a. Half circles:
-Students have enough space to play and make activities at the middle of the class (carpet to read on)
-Students will get familiar with each other
-Easy for teacher to reach all students

b. Groups of 4 or 5:
-Students can help each other and share some stuff
-Students get to know their classmates so they be shy later
-Teacher can reach all students
-Students have bigger opportunity to gain more friends

c. Traditional way, when tables and chairs are lined up, one by one:
-Students can focus on their own work
-Hard for students to cheat
-Easy for teacher to move around all students
-If the teacher has a comment on a student, their conversation will stay between them (private)

2. Why do you think that children like a predictable, safe and organized
environment?
Students like predictable, safe and organized environment because they feel
safe, and comfortable in doing anything they want to. Also, students feel nervous
when teachers keep telling them watch out, careful, you will get hurt, this is
dangerous, etc. which make them want to leave this uncomfortable area.

3.

Which point in the article is the most interesting to you as a future teacher?
Why?

Desk arrangement
I was shocked when I knew that the way desks are organized in classroom can
affect students, as well as teacher. Now, I know why my teacher refuses to organize
our classroom in a certain way. We thought that she doesnt like us and just want to
stubborn. In fact, it was for our own benefit, but I didnt realize that until now. In my
future, I will take care of this important point, and I will explain to my students why
this arrangement is better than others.