In the video entitled Classroom arrangement (2012), among the rest of the classrooms with a peculiar design and the interior arrangement, the one with a rectangular desk in the middle and the perimeter-type organization of the seats. The room is quite small, for the atmosphere to be cozier, which helps the teacher get the message across with the help of direct instructions more efficiently. Thus, the teacher can use cognitive strategies successfully. It is also essential to mark that the room is designed in a business style, yet various elements like the funny mask on the window make the atmosphere more relaxed. There is a smaller brown table in the right corner. Behind the teacher, there is a chest of drawers where books and lesson materials must be stored. There is a black folder on the table in front of the teacher and a note on the window screen. In addition, there are a couple of other objects on the window, obviously, some devices, and a roll of paper in the left corner. In addition, the table is clogged with folders and papers, which means that the lesson is in full swing.
As for the type of the activities that students are dealing with in the given time slot, these are evidently the discussions of the information which the students have on their sheets of paper. Perhaps, the students are discussing the newly obtained assignment, which can be either their homework, or the assignment which they have to deal with right on the spot. Meanwhile, the teacher must be giving general guidelines on the new task.
In the video, the teacher gives the students sheets of paper and probably explains them what their next activity is going to be like, which makes the teacher stand in the limelight in the course of the lesson. Thus, it becomes clear that the teacher’s key purpose in the given class is to coordinate the course of the lesson and to provide the students with the instructions on their tasks, as well as to give explanations on the assignments. The arrangement of the class allows him to do it in the best way possible. However, in case of other activities, the classroom arrangement should be somewhat different. In case of a lecture, the teacher would stand next to the blackboard, which must be on the left or on the right from where he stands in the video. Thus, the students will have to sit at one of the table sides, which means that they will probably have to be split in two rows. In the case of a test, it would be reasonable to leave one seat empty between each of the students to eliminate the possibility of cheating.
However, talking about the way the teacher takes the lead in the class, one must not forget about the level of engagement which the students display, for, in case the teacher takes most of the lesson time, the classes cannot be considered productive. In the given video, it is evident that the students also participate actively in the classes, asking questions, commenting on the tasks and providing their ideas.
In the given piece of video, the purpose of the classroom arrangement, as it has been stated before, is rather explicit. First of all, the fact that the students are seated around the table presupposes that they can see each other and the teacher well and, thus, focus their attention on the subject. Finally, with the teacher at the head of the table, the students are likely to be more organized and patient.
The importance of seating arrangement is not to be overlooked. For instance, it is a good idea to seat students around the table for a group task. However, in case of an individual assignment or a test, it is more reasonable to seat students distanced from each other. For the activities which require creating a dialogue or for projects, it is reasonable to split the students in “duets” or small groups (3 to 6).
Reference List
Classroom arrangement (2012). CourseCompass.com. Web.