Reshaping Classrooms in Secondary Schools

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Reshaping Classrooms in Secondary School Over the years, teachers of younger children have developed the art of transforming ordinary classrooms into inspiring places of learning. Teachers of young children are the envy of secondary teachers who cart their wares about like snails, leaving no trace at the conclusion of each lesson. One unfortunate consequence of this nomadic teaching style is that secondary teachers can be tempted by the “do-nothing” approach when it comes to reshaping their classrooms. This essay will focus on four changeable elements within the secondary school classroom, these are: seating arrangement, noise, light and temperature. Research suggests that seating arrangement plays a primary role with noise, light and temperature playing secondary roles (Jensen, 2005) . To justify this stance one must accept that a teacher may have little control over noise, light or temperature due to architectural constraints and that the seating arrangement may be the only “re-shapeable” element within their control. This is not the only reason why seating arrangement sits atop the pyramid but it’s a good starting point. Seating Arrangement There are many factors to consider when planning the seating arrangement within a classroom. These factors include class size, student relationships, individual education plans and proximity and line of sight to resources. When planning the seating arrangement a teacher must also consider noise, light and temperature and, as far as possible, position students according to their individual needs (Tangen et al., 2010, p. 89). So getting it right can be a juggling act. One just has to Google the term “classroom seating arrangements” to know that getting it right is paramount. According to Jensen (2005, p. 82), “the stress that students may feel as a result of where they
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