Why did I think it was a good idea to eliminate desks? For starters, I have two level 1 classes, one level 2 class, and one level 4 class. A great deal of time in the lower levels is spent on telling/asking stories, adding details to the stories, and reading. None of these things require a desk.
Secondly, my experience has been that the students are more engaged in the class without the desks and things they would normally put on their desk that have the potential to distract them. Another benefit: no desks means none of the students have their heads down on the desk during class.
My Spanish 4 class only has 16 students, so that is a small enough number for us to form a circle with the chairs, or a semi-circle if I plan to write on the board or use the interactive projector.
What was the students' reaction? The first day they thought it was odd, funny, or maybe a bit cool. As the days went by I thought I might encounter some resistance and complaining, but that hasn't been the case. It could be that the students enjoy the setting because it is different than their other classes. I like it because it feels more conversational and comfortable. From time to time a student will ask me when I'm going to put the desks back, then I answer, "at the end of the semester", and they have no additional questions.
When students sketch a story or sketch what happens next in a story, or take a quiz or exam, or write the 3 new structures or vocabulary for the lesson in their notebooks, they use a clipboard which was generously donated by Mark Hershey Farms, a local business in the community. (Some day I need to buy a milk crate to store them, but until then they're kept in the cardboard box.)For the second semester, when I'll have completely new classes, I'll go back to the traditional arrangement of desks in groups of 2, in rows, facing forward. After I have the chance to get to know the students, and they understand the expectations of the class, I'll go back to no desks.
This arrangement is similar to what I did last spring, but the students still worked at the desks when they worked in groups from time to time. This semester, the only time the desks are used, by a few, is during formal assessments.
I got rid of desks this year too and I love it! I've had to rearrange chairs a bit to eliminate some distracting interactions, but in general I like the increased mobility the new arrangement allows. I'm still not sure how to accommodate writing. I have clipboards, which work for partner activities and quick writing tasks, but I worry that it's not ergonomically correct for any longer writing I might ask students to do. In fact, I wonder if I am avoiding having them write because of the table arrangement. I'd love to find elementary-school-sized table chairs with tablets that fold down when not in use.
ReplyDeleteI removed my pupitres too, not something that would have occurred to me pre-TPRS but now... ¡es obvio!
ReplyDeleteSí, es obvio. The biggest downfall for me is that one markerboard in my room is now blocked.
ReplyDeleteAnny - when my students do timed writings, or longer writing tasks, I give them the option of moving to a desk that is pushed along the walls, but few take that option. Most choose to write with the clipboards.