Seating Charts in 18 easy steps!

Long gone are the days where I simply put my kids in rows based on their last names.  That was a simpler time.  

Instead, let's focus on the eighteen easy steps to creating the perfect seating arrangement.  While eighteen may be a slight exaggeration, it's sadly not too far off when I think about all the different factors that go into creating a seating chart.

First, accept that the perfect seating arrangement does not exist.  Kids have moods. They fight with friends.  Their needs change, often.  There will never, ever be a perfect seating arrangement.

Second, accept that the seats the kiddos get in August shouldn't be the same seats they're at in May.  I change seats (and class jobs) roughly once a month.  It keeps kids on their toes and when I have to separate students due to behaviors, it's not glaringly obvious because everyone gets a new seat.

Third, accept that you will make changes to the seating chart. I try to block out thirty minutes to focus on this task (yes, it can take that long to make a seating chart) and always, always do it in pencil.  I create a super rough sketch of my four tables and label based on the colored lanterns (how I distinguish my tables).  Then I get to work crafting a new seating arrangement.

When making a seating chart, there are a few important things to keep in mind:

1. First and foremost, who needs to be up front to see?

Many of my students need glasses.  Many don't have them, leave them at home (both accidentally or on purpose), refuse to wear them, or have broken them and are waiting on replacements.  Place those kiddos up front. 

2. Do any students legally require special seating?

Double check IEPs and 504 plans for this information.  In nine years of teaching, I've had students with limited hearing that need to be seated close to the board.  I've had students who are very close to being legally blind, so they obviously needed to be sitting close to the board as well.

3. Where are your RTI students?

I double check my RTI (response to intervention) case load and make sure those students are somewhere I can strategically check on.  It doesn't necessarily have to be the front of the room (though that helps), but I want to make sure I can get to them quickly without tripping over backpacks, furniture, or other students.

4. Who is helpful?

I like to put these patient, kind, thoughtful students near my RTI or special needs students.  They can help without being discouraged and don't get easily frustrated with their peers.  I also tend to put these students by their peers that might require extra attention or energy.  Some kids are more emotionally draining than others. Some kids display annoying behaviors (pencil tapping, kicking, etc) and seem to bother everyone.  While we do a lot of talks about social and emotional goals, maturity does play a factor. 

5. Who is fighting?

With twenty five students, there are going to be some conflicts.  I try to minimize the class outbursts by separating students that are often at odds with one another.  We also talk about that it's okay not to be best friends with everyone, but we need to be kind to one another.

6. Who needs limited distractions?

This is my first year in third grade and the distraction factor is definitely playing a huge role in my classroom seating arrangement.  I don't have anything super distracting up on the walls (just things we've made together), but there are still students that zone out and try to focus on what their neighbors are doing instead of their own work.  I try, whenever possible, to have these students face the front of the room.  I also think about which students tend to stare at the clock (because they're waiting for lunch) and seat them with their backs to the clock. 

7. Do I have an equal(ish) balance of boys and girls at each table? 

While I don't have an even split of girls and boys (because I have an odd number of students), I don't like to have all girls or all boys tables.  I also don't like to have table groups with one boy and five girls (or vice versa).  In a perfect world, I have 3 girls and 3 boys at each table, but this isn't always an option (see points one through six).  More often then not, it's a 4-2 split and that's as good as it's going to get.

8. Who asks questions, often? 

I don't discourage questions.  I do get annoyed when I'm asked the same question over and over again or the questions in no way pertain to the lesson I'm teaching or the topic we're discussing, but I also know that asking questions is scary and I don't want to shut students down for fear they won't ask questions again.  There are students who ask questions only during whole group time, but several that will only ask for help during partner/table work.  I try to sit those kiddos at the outside areas of their tables so I don't have to climb over others to get to them.

9. Who are my GATE and TAGS students?

I try not to put my GATE and TAGS students together (Gifted and Talented) because they tend to work at a more rapid pace, get excited easily, and work ahead without helping neighbors.  Since things come easily to these students, I don't always have them right next to my struggling students because the GATE/TAGS students quickly get fed up when their neighbor "doesn't get it".  I try to have one GATE/TAGS student per table (when possible) so that every table has an "out of the box" thinker. 

10. Is anyone new to country who needs translation help?

Several of my students are English Language Learners (ELLs).  A few are new to country.  These students are literate in their home languages and want to participate.  However, one doesn't learn a new language over night.  Study after study has shown that it takes five years to be immersed in a language before one is fluent.  I get these students for only one of those years.  Yes, my instruction is in English but I also do my best to translate so they understand the directions, assignment, or task.  If another student is bilingual and can help translate, I absolutely have them help.  I also rely on Google Translate and apps to help my students participate in class. 

11. Who are best friends? 

Sometimes best friends work well together and well, sometimes it's a disaster.  I model this concept with my work wife Ms. H.  We do not sit next to each other in meetings because we mutually are responsible for getting one another off task.  Instead, another friend, Ms. S has to sit between us because she tells both of us to shush and keeps our group on track so we don't get the dreaded "teacher face" from our admin.  You know, this face:

They laugh at this silly scenario, but we both reinforce that it's true.  We need to both make the choice to request to sit away from one another so we can both do our best work.  We save our chit chat for the lunchroom.

After those eleven big things are taken care of, I start to look at the student reply cards.  Because I firmly believe they should have a say in their classroom environment, I allow students to give suggestions.  I have them divide their note card into four spots:

1. Your name 
2. Special considerations (need to sit up front, need a translator or can translate)
3. Who do you want to sit close to because he/she helps you? 
4. Who do you need to sit away from?


We do have the conversation that their input is merely suggestions, but that I'll do my best to grant their requests as long as they realize I'm juggling the requests of twenty five students.  I also have the "tough love" chat about the simple life fact that we all don't get what we want sometimes.

Then I start to flip through the cards to double check that I didn't miss any of those first eleven factors.

At this point, a majority of my class has been placed on my rough draft of the seating chart.  I then start to flip through the cards and see if there are any glaring concerns that I missed.  

I think look at the kind and helpful students who I may have placed near peers that exhibit frustrating behaviors.  There's always that one kid and often times he/she is acting out for heart breaking reasons.  But isolating these students can make it worse.  So if I know that I've put a student near a peer that can be exhausting, I look at that student's note card to see who he/she wants to sit by and do my best to accommodate those requests.

This is my second year of using tables instead of desks and I love it.  The layout is more conducive to classroom discussions and projects.  The seats can change quickly and students aren't worried about someone else being in their stuff because there is no designated spot for each student.  Instead, each table has crates that I've zip tied together and each class supply has its own designated space. 

When it comes time to change seats, I have them gather all their materials onto their chairs.  No major furniture is moved, there is no heavy lifting, and all students can participate in the seat shuffle. 

So there you have it folks, eighteen easy steps for making a seating chart! 

How I feel when people tell me teaching is so "easy" because I'm only working six hours a day: