Tables vs. desks
By Angela Watson
I’ve always wanted to get the student desks out of my classroom, and I finally took the plunge this year and had them all replaced with tables. (Clearly, this furnishing decision made me a favorite with our custodial staff.)
So far? I’m loving it, which is a surprise, because I never liked having my students’ desks facing each other. The kids just talked constantly and were always distracting each other. I felt like I was setting them up for failure: putting 6 other kids right in their faces, and then begging them all day to turn their heads and look at me. It’s okay after March, when the FCAT is over and the kids are doing lots of cooperative work and projects, but until then, I really like everyone to be facing moi.
Somehow it’s a little different with tables. There’s no place for the kids to hide stuff, and nothing for them to play with while I’m teaching. Not having their own little areas also makes it harder for them to daydream or not follow along. Granted, I only have 20 kids in the class, which greatly reduces the talking temptation. But I would definitely call my experiment a success.
Here are the bins I keep on each table. (They were $1.50 at Target in August.) I have a small piece of velcro underneath to keep the kids from bumping the entire thing onto the floor. The bins hold pencils, erasers, dry erase markers, highlighters, dry erase boards, and felt squares to use as erasers for the boards. They also hold ‘works in progress’ folders for each child to organize papers commonly used or referenced on multiple days.
All workbooks and texts are stored either individual cubbies (I call children #1-10 to get their books, then #11-20 so there’s not a stampede)…
…and classroom supplies like scissors and crayons are stored at the Supply Station (here are similar ones from Walmart.) Each person at a table has a job, and one of those jobs is Container Helper (retrieving and returning the container of supplies).
Team jobs are determined according to which seat each child sit in. For example, the person at the head of the table is always the Trash Helper (to whom the kids give all their scraps after a project so that only 4 kids are going over the trash can). The person to the right of the Trash Helper is the Folder Helper, who retrieves and returns reading folders, writing folders, etc. from the Supply Station. The other two jobs are Paper Passer (to whom I give a stack of papers for the team to complete during a lesson, and that person makes sure everyone at the team has one) and Paper Collector (who collects the same papers after the lesson is over and makes sure everyone has a name on his/her paper and everything’s facing the right way). Read more about class jobs/helpers here.
Loving it! I’m really emphasizing team work this year (“If there’s someone at your table who is not yet on page 197, please show them”) and the kids are getting impressively good at helping each other out and working as a unit.
Anyone else use tables? Suggestions for making them work?
UPDATE: Check out the classroom desk arrangements page!
Angela Watson
Founder and Writer
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I’m not sure if this blog is still good, but…I want tables for my 4th graders. From experience are round or rectangular better? Thanks!
I would prefer rectangular since they take up less space in the room.
I’m starting my ninth year teaching and I’ve always had desks – until now! I’m excited for a change but I’m wondering about the best way to manage supplies. I like the idea of 2 sets of bins, one staying at the desks (velcro! why didn’t I think of that?) and the other bin set aside to be brought over. I just joined the 40 Hour Club and so far I’m loving it! I’ve been following your blog on and off since my first year teaching and I’m so thankful for your insight!
I just moved classrooms and decided it would be a great time to transition from desks to tables. This year I will be teaching three sections of reading in my room each day. Each section will have 20-24 kids. My dilemma is how to organize student supplies, reading textbooks, notebooks, and folders for three classes. I’m a member of the 40 hour workweek, and I’ve been inspired to make the room set-up so that it is productive and flows well. I would love to hear your suggestions!
I am glad to see the comments still going along on this topic. I changed to tables last spring and I mostly like them but also have some reservations. (I teach 6th grade and the kids change classes from period to period). I am still working out what to have the kids do with their books and other materials. When we switched, I had them put everything under their chair, but things would slide and end up all over the floor. With the start of a new year, I am hoping to “train” them from the beginning in a new method. I love the idea of the kids having nothing (or very little) on their desks during instruction. My ideas so far are to have one crate per table that a student would bring over and put back before and after class. The crate would have whiteboards (I use quite a bit), and a large pencil case with expo markers, erasers and extra supplies. I just need to figure out what the kids would do with their binder, etc. I love the idea of chair pockets but they are very expensive. Does anyone have a cheaper alternative?
I have been in the 40 Hour Workweek club since last October and have gained so much from it!
Thank you!
Hi! I’ve seen people use those fabric book covers as chair pockets…
That is brilliant!
What do you do at the beginning of the year to set the kids up for success? Do they turn their chairs toward you when you teach? How do you handle working with whiteboards etc.? Do they keep them in their laps? Thanks:)