Building Thinking Classrooms: Ch 4 - Arranging the Furniture

Classrooms that are organized and symmetrical

Convey the message that these traits are important for mathematics.

"Defronting" the classroom is essential to getting students to focus on each other

Instead of the teacher.

How my room is arranged now.

Other possibilities that could work to free up space for vertical thinking areas.

Possibility #1                                                                                            Possibility #2

Possibility #1 still has a "front" for the white board, but with chairs around the tables, it doesn't have the symmetrical feel as what I currently have.

Possibility #2 is still very symmetrical (I'm a math teacher...this is hard!), but it is harder to determine where the front of the room is.

Question 1

What are some of the things in this chapter that immediately feel correct?

I get the whole non-symmetrical thing but it truly goes against every fiber in my body.  I'm willing to try whatever though to see how it goes.  

Question 2

Think about the way the furniture in your room is currently arranged. Is that for your benefit or the students?

The arrangement of the furniture in my classroom is so I can get get to every table as students are working.  If we move to vertical spaces, this won't be an issue, and table placement can be anywhere really.  My only concern is being able to see the TV for the Immersion videos.  That is one fixed point that can't really be changed unless I have students watch the videos independently.

Question 3

What is it you like about the way the furniture is currently arranged? Why do you like it?

It's symmetrical. It's how I've had it for years!  

Question 4

Think about other arrangements that you have seen. Why would a teacher prefer that?

I am not a single desk in rows fan.  Tables are much better for collaboration...which also means they contribute to extra talking, but creating the proper learning environment usually helps with this. 

Question 5

In this chapter I talked about straightness and symmetry. What else in a classroom, and in teaching practice, might be governed by a desire to have things be straight and symmetrical? What, if anything do you like about this? What message does this send to students?

My whiteboard is very constant.  Weekly calendar, learning goal, quiz schedule.  This sends a message to students about consistency and order.

Posters on my wall are purposefully placed.  Often symmetrically. 

Question 6

If we think about the fact that everything we do send a message to the students, what is the main message that students hear from your practice? Is this the message that you want to be sending them?

Intended message:

Everyone can learn math.  Our brains are all wired to learn.  

Question 7

What are some of the challenges you anticipate you will experience to implementing the strategies suggested in this chapter? What are some of the ways to overcome these?

Excessive talking with closer proximity

Movement around the classroom