Learning - Family-Style.

Although short in length as it will always feel (!), Christmas break has a way of providing a sense of refreshment and - even for those of us who have to deal with crazy family - a sense of joyful belonging. We have the opportunity to visit with family, catch up on life, and genuinely engage with those whose lives we aren't all that familiar with. I know I love sitting around my grandparents' living room and listening to my cousin's stories, learning about my grandparents' lives before all of us were even a glimmer...I learn so much about my family in just those few short visits each year. And one thing I realized...at every family Christmas I attended, displayed there were groups of people, engaged with one another - whether one large group or smaller groups - all learning about each other's lives. And I began to wonder...how is this different than what goes on in our classrooms?

When we teach, we expect students to look, listen, and learn. Thankfully we've learned over the years to let go of the old "children should be seen and not heard," (as my dad still clings to at times with the grandkids). And hopefully we encourage our students' questions, discussions, productive struggles, and cooperative learning, as there is much research to show us that these types of engagement have a greater impact than lecturing during whole group instruction. But what if we thought of our classes as "family gatherings," where students are encouraged to sit with, face, and engage with one another to toy with the new material they're learning? Think about the times you are engaging with people and learning new information...in the hallway with colleagues...seated around the dinner table or in the living room...typically we are facing others in large or small groups of some kind.

Well, what's happening when we are all facing the same way, in a parallel fashion? Typically, we're being entertained...it may be a sporting event, a movie theater, or another means of being mentally stimulated, but not necessarily engaged with or learning. Truthfully, there's numerous times I look at a screen in front of me and zone out - whether it's because I'm disinterested or need a mental break :) However, when sitting around with others, it peaks my interest, stimulates my thinking, and allows me to listen and learn more successfully. Does this sound like our students?

Ultimately, much depends on what you have planned for your lesson. Are there times when group seating is more beneficial than other arrangements? Absolutely. What about individual seating? Of course. The trick is to remember that what works for one lesson may not be as effective for another. Different activities and lessons call for different levels of interaction and, thus, learning. Don't be afraid to mix it up! Just like our crazy family members, we cannot always escape the chaos of our students; however, we can determine how to arrange students in the classroom so they have the highest chance for success, as well as feel a sense of belonging and joy in learning.

Below are some examples of arrangements, as well as pros and cons for each...please feel free to stop by if you have any questions or want to bounce some ideas around about how different arrangements can look and work in your classroom!