A well-designed utilization of classroom space is of utmost necessity if the aim is to be able to manage all learning activities to successful completion. How should the environment be structured for effective teaching and learning?
Furniture Arrangement
The physical features in the classroom must be located in areas where the contents could be viewed well and be made available for use. Well-arranged, they make the room look spacious and orderly. Furniture such as chairs and tables. for demonstrations or displays must be positioned appropriately. Exhibit shelves are either permanently pinned to the wall or are made to stand at the sides.
Whiteboard for writing and clarifying lesson discussions, together with bulletin boards, are available for posting important messages and outstanding pieces of students’ work, art and illustrations.
Seating Arrangement
The seating arrangement deserves foremost consideration since the students stay in each at the longest time during the day. They either remain seated if there is a lecture-demonstration or leave every now and then to gather the materials needed for an experiment or to operate a single equipment. Match the seating arrangement with the format and activities of your lesson plan.
The semi-permanent arrangement of the chairs is one where they are arranged in four rows with six to eight in a ‘row. Sufficient space is allotted in the aisles and in-between the seats for ease in moving around. If the activities need groupings, the chairs are organized in groups of four or five facing each other for a fast exchange of communications. If they need a wide space at the center as in exhibitions and short drama, the chairs are lined close to the wall around the room.
The choice of the right size of the chair would depend on the ‘students’ size. If kept on a large desk or a smaller one they will feel uncomfortable and their movements will be affected.
Below are some sample seating arrangements:
Physical Condition of the Classroom
The physical environment Must also be a safe place where curious, overactive, and energetic children are always on the go. Avoid slippery floors, rickety chairs, and old furniture. In performing experiments where heat sources such as electric stoves, gas burners, and bulbs are used, extreme care must be exercised in order to prevent fires.
For a lively and fresh look, potted indoor plants can be placed at the corners and flowers on the teacher’s table. During class hours proper lighting and ventilation must be provided and maintained for everybody’s comfort. Noise and discipline problems in the physical environment can be avoided in an orderly and well-managed classroom.
Let us not forget that equally important, if not more important, is the psychological atmosphere that reigns in the classroom.
