Name : Rakhmady Adami

NIM : 170203203

Short Paper

1. Introduction

Teaching English is not as easy as it looks, especially to the young learners since, it
requires the teachers to have excellent classroom management skills to ensure successful
learning. No language can be taught effectively by focusing only on the methodology and
ignoring the issues pertaining to classroom management.Generally, classroom management
refers to the process where a teacher organizes and controls student movement, behavior and
interaction pattern during a lesson. A teacher’s most important job in the classroom is to
create the conditions in which effective learning can take place. To make a course effective, a
teacher must have the skills of managing a class successfully. It can be done through
teacher’s positive attitude, intentions, personality and a healthy relationship with the learners.
It also requires certain organizational skills (task organization, lesson organization etc) and
techniques. All these things together can be called classroom management. There is a
conventional notion about classroom management that it only means managing the student’s
disruptive behaviors and maintaining discipline in classroom.

According to Julie Sanford, Edmund Emmer and Barbara Clements, (cited: Jones and
Jones, 1981: pg-3) “The concept of classroom management is broader than the notion of
student discipline. It includes all the things teachers must do to foster student involvement
and cooperation in classroom activities and to establish a productive working environment”.
Jere Brophy and Carolyn Evertson, (1976) (cited: Jones and Jones, 1981: pg-3) stated that
“Almost all surveys of teacher effectiveness report that classroom management skills are of
primary importance in determining teaching success, whether it is measured by student
learning or by ratings. Thus, management skills are crucial and fundamental. A teacher who
is grossly inadequate in classroom management skills is probably not going to accomplish
much”.

Classroom management includes grouping and seating, setting up activities, time

management, teacher’s control over students in the classroom, proper start and end of the
lesson, maintaining discipline, dealing with problems, using proper tools and techniques,
giving instructions, monitoring etc. It is essential for a language classroom. In a language

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classroom, teachers need to ensure students’ involvement and comfort. If the students are not
encouraged and do not feel comfortable in the classroom, it becomes very difficult for the
teacher to teach and involve the students in the classroom activities. Thus, classroom
management is necessary in order to create a suitable learning environment and encourage
the learners to learn the language.

My focus in this paper is about Seating arrangements. Seating arragements are very
important to the classroom for interaction, atmosphere, and behavior. It is easy to take seating
for granted, or only see the partial benefits it provides, but proper seating can be a useful tool
to accomplish class objectives. There are three styles that are commonly used in the
classroom: traditional rows, U-shaped, and cluster (groups/pairs). Each has their own pros
and cons, and each should be weighed carefully to meet the objectives of the lesson and the
style of the educator.

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 2. Type of Grouping Students

a. Whole-class Teaching

Teaching the entire class at the same time has a place in education. There are times when
it is most effective and beneficial to the students when they actually sit and listen to what the
teacher has to say. Having said that, there are also many instances when this approach is not
appropriate in learning.

The advantages

 When the teacher needs control

When the teacher needs the power whole-class teaching is useful. This is most common
when giving instructions, doing a demonstration, or explaining something that is completely
new to the class. Other instances when whole-teaching is useful is when the teacher is
presenting visuals or other forms of media.

 To increase a social cohesion

Teaching to the whole-class is also beneficial in terms of social cohesion. In some

cultures, doing things together is important. This is particularly true in collectivist societies.
When everyone is listening together and laughing together it builds community. This is
difficult for some to understand but it is necessary to be aware of this depending on the
context.

 When it is preferred

Whole-class teaching could also be the preference of the students and teacher regardless
of culture. Some students do not like to work in groups while others prefer the anonymity of
being in a larger group focused on the teacher. For whatever reason, whole-class teaching
works just because of the setting.

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The Disadvantages

 Passive, transmission of knowledge learning

Whole-class teaching leads to the teacher transmitting knowledge to the students. This
goes against active learning in which students participate in their learning. It is exceedingly
boring for many people and does not help in retaining, understanding and applying new
knowledge. Passive learning is not a way to make active learners who can do something with
what they have learned

 Overly collective

Whole-class teaching is also seen as overly collective. Everyone is forced to do the same
thing. This goes against the idea of differentiated instruction which promotes having students
do different things in the classroom at the same time. Students are usually heterogeneous in
terms of their skills and abilities so it makes it difficult to support consistent use of only
whole-class teaching.

 Difficult for shy students

Lastly, whole-class teaching makes it challenging for shy students to participate. Many
students do not want to speak in front of the whole class as they do not like this kind of
pressure. However, in small groups, these same students feel much more comfortable sharing
their views. Therefore, occasional use of small groups, even in collectivists contexts, will
allow all students an opportunity for fuller participation.

b. Seating Whole-group Classes

 Orderly Row

Orderly rows imply teachers working with whole class. It means that the teacher has a
clear view of all the students and the students can all see the teacher (in whole direction they
are facing). It is necessary when the teacher works with the whole class sitting in orderly
rows, it is vitally important to make sure that they remain in contact with the pupils and that
they keep everyone involved. The seating arrangement in orderly rows:

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 Circle and Horseshoes

In a horseshoes the teacher is often located in a central position; it has much greater
opportunity to get close to the students. In a circle, the teacher’s position is outside of the
circle. The horseshoes and circles arrangements the students have shared and information
through talking, eye contact, or expressive body movement (eyebrow-raising, shoulder
shrugging etc).The seating arrangement of circle and horseshoes:

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 Separate tables

When students sit in small groups at individual tables, the atmosphere in the class is
much less hierarchical than other arrangements. It is much easier for the teacher to work
at one table while the others get on with their work. In separated classroom students
might see the teacher walks around to 20 check the students work and helps if they have
difficulties. The setting of separate table is:

c. Individualised Learning

This is the opposite of whole-class grouping. This can range from students doing
exercise on thier own in class, to situation in wgich teachers are able to spend time
working with individual students, or when students take charge of their own learning in
self-access center or other out-of-class eviroment.

 Advantage of Individualised Learning

- It allow teachers to respond individual student differences in terms of pace of
learning, learning styles and preferences
- It is likely to be less stressful for students than performing in a whole-class setting or
talking in pairs or groups
- It can develop learner autonomy and promote skill of self-reliance and ivestigation
over teacher-dependence
- It can be a way of restoring peace and tranquality to a noisy and chaotic classroom

 Disadvantage of Individualised Learning

- It doesn’t help a class develop sense of belonging

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 - When combine with giving individual students different task, it means a great deal
more thought and material preperation than whole-class teching involves.

d. Pairwork

Having students work in pairs is a classical learning activity in the classroom. As with
other activities in the classroom, working in pairs has pros and cons to it. This post explores
the advantages and disadvantages of having students work in pairs.

 The advantages

 Students working together require less guidance from the teacher

Students who are working together can discuss and often figure out what to do
without teacher intervention. Why would any teacher want to explain something he can
have the students figure out? In pairs, students can teach each other and utilize the
synergy that comes from working together.

 When students need help, the teacher works with several students at a time instead of
one

When students cannot overcome an obstacle, the teacher is there to provide support.
However, instead of working with only one student, the teacher is working with two
students at a time. This reduces the amount of support needed significantly because as
long as one student understands what the teacher says they can help their partner to grasp
the information.

 Promotes collaboration and cooperative learning

Pair work promotes collaboration and cooperative learning. These are critical skills that
students need to compete in the world. As they work together they develop skills for real-
world collaborative and cooperative learning.

 The disadvantages

 Noisy and risk of chaos

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 Working in pairs can be noisy and loud. This can lead to chaos in the classroom. It
will take serious classroom management skills to get students to stay the course and
complete the task.

 Lost of direction

A second point that is highly related to the first is that students can lose direction
when working in pairs. It is easy for them to start to talk or do anything not related to the
learning activity. This can even apply to adult learners. Keeping students focused is
another skill that a teacher needs when putting students in pairs.

 Student disdain

Lastly, some students hate working in pairs. They may prefer to work with the teacher or
alone. This can also be compounded if the student does not like who they have been
partnered with. To successfully overcome this requires the teacher to be aware of the
relationships and even the politics of their classroom.

e. Groupwork

Group work is when two or more students work cooperatively to complete a project.
Often, individuals receive different roles within the group to provide accountability among its
members. In some fields, creativity thrives when people share ideas freely and can benefit
from others’ input. When assembled thoughtfully, student groups can produce quality work
with positive collaboration and encouragement.

 The advantages of groupwork

 Groups can divide large projects into equal parts. Tasks and deadlines is best suited to
a group. For example, if a team leader distributes a list of 100 tasks among five
students based on their individual skills and abilities, it could create a stronger project.
 Team members can brainstorm for solutions. When people work together to address
problems or difficulties in a project, the quality of the solutions can increase due to
their collaborative efforts.

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 There is a forum for communication. Group work gives an organized forum for
discussing progress and feedback about successes or setbacks. When the group
members commit to more thorough communication, they encourage each other to
meet deadlines and can offer help when needed.
 Students can recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. Group work can lead to
self-reflection and self-awareness. It can help someone discover their own leadership
qualities, for example, or learn valuable problem-solving or communication skills.

 The disadvantages of workgroup

 Some personalities strongly influence others. While leadership is a valuable career
skill, strong personalities can make it challenging for others to contribute feedback
and can affect the cohesiveness of the team.
 There may be an unequal division of labor. Group work can make uneven
contributions seem the same. In some scenarios, one or two team members may be
responsible for most of the work and the entire team may still receive credit. This can
affect a team’s unity and purpose.
 Groups could encounter scheduling conflicts. Even with technology, it can be
challenging to schedule time in which all members of the group can attend a meeting.
It is important to determine whether the complications of scheduling group work are
as valuable as assigning tasks to individuals.
 People may feel undervalued. Some participants may feel like their team doesn’t
value their suggestions as much as others’ if their ideas aren’t used as frequently.
They may participate less in the group and experience decreased creativity and
passion for their work.
 There may be more competition. Natural competitiveness can improve motivation, but
if the competition becomes the focus of the group, the work quality may decline. If
the competitiveness of a group increases to an unhealthy level, it may be better to try
independent work instead.

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 3. Conclution

Which seating arrangement an educator should use is largely based on many

factors. Some are not in the educators control such as classroom size, classroom
furniture or number of students. However, aspects that are within the educator’s
control are objectives and the type of class the educators wants to create. Choose
seating arrangements wisely, as it can help the class reach its objectives and take the
students to new levels. Seating can help the management of students and activities,
freeing the teacher for assessment and providing more responsibility for self learning.
Also, there is no rule against using all three in one class. The educator can easily
change in and out of seating arrangements as needed. The real power is knowing
which seating arrangements will facilitate student learning and when to use it.

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