Wearing a sweatshirt over a bright blue anti-bullying shirt, Alayna Hurley sat in a chair facing Kristi Sikora- Blankenship’s desk, working quietly on a test as her classmates were strewn behind her ...

At first, I cringed when I thought about a classroom without perfectly tidy desks, pushed-in chairs, and thoughtfully chosen seating assignments. I thought, “Why would any teacher want to lose control ...

In a recent article, I shared some ideas about how seating challenges can reveal useful data about class chemistry and individual students during the first week of school. But what next? How can we ...

The start of a school year means a new seating chart for each classroom—full of students that the teacher likely hasn’t met. Without knowing the students, how does a teacher know where to assign their ...

The teacher’s educational philosophy will be reflected in the layout of the classroom. Robert Sommer Ever walk into a classroom and just feel good? I certainly have. On a few recent school visits, I ...

This article is part of the collection: Going Back to School With the 2016 EdSurge Fifty States Project. I’ve made a promise to myself and my students: I have decided this year that I am making over ...

The teacher’s educational philosophy will be reflected in the layout of the classroom. Robert Sommer Ever walk into a classroom and just feel good? I certainly have. On a few recent school visits, I ...