That’s Not My Seat!

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Ever since students started school, there is a time they couldn’t imagine not having a seating chart. It was a routine in almost every classroom. Students would come back from summer vacation, walk into the classroom and take a seat by their friends before they had to move. It is always a dream when finally the day would come where everyone can choose their own seat. Every student knows their side of the story, no way do they want a seating chart, but do students ever consider the teacher’s perspective on seating charts?

“I feel like, especially at the beginning of the year, it is the best way to know my students. I think later in Spanish two and three we do reading groups, so I group students together based on what I know about their strengths [so I know who would] be good partners in the readings that we do,” said Amanda Sauer, spanish teacher.

When the teachers perspective does finally come to the students mind, it’s most likely the fact that teachers need control of the classroom and the only way they can do that is by a seating chart.

“[Teachers give a seating chart] to keep the class controlled. Also, if substitutes come they know who is who,” said Riley Fuchs, 11.

I always feel like in the classes I am in, it backfires. People end up yelling to the other side of the room to their best friend while the teacher is talking. Then, it ends up being a cycle of the student yelling at the friend, and then the teacher yelling at the student. I know that it is something not every teacher wants to hear, but it would be easier for the class to have no seating chart. Just think that if the students got to choose where they sat, then there wouldn’t be any yelling over the teacher. I personally think it is very annoying when a student does that because I am trying to listen to the teachers instruction over the assignment. It is just always nice to pick your own seats for once. It always makes my day when I can choose my seat and know that I will be happy with it no matter what.