Teaching/learning outcomes are largely dependent on various factors within the classroom as well as in the external environment. Consequently, a classroom teacher has to be aware of these factors as much as possible. With such knowledge, a teacher is able to organize and reorganize his/her classroom for the purpose of attaining the set objectives. Even so, reorganizing of classroom organization and grouping for enhanced learning require creativity. A creative teacher is capable of reorganizing his/her classroom organization for effective monitoring and assessment of the learners’ progress.
Reorganizing Classroom Organization
Classroom organization has to do with the arrangement of the various elements of learning. A teacher organizes students’ tables and chairs, teacher’s desk, the position of the projector and other learning aids. He/she arranges how the learners sit in a classroom and the spacing between the learners. A teacher may deem it necessary to reorganize the classroom organization as may be necessitated. For instance, a teacher may rearrange learners’ desks depending on the number of students she/he has in the classroom. This is to say that it is up to a teacher to ensure that the room does not look compressed.
Another factor that influences such an arrangement is the behavior. Many teenagers tend to be cheeky as they grow. It is a teacher’s duty to understand his/her students and reorganize the classroom. For example, it is advisable to have learners with behavior problems sitting closer to the teacher’s desk and the well-behaved ones sitting at the back. This way, learners with behavioral issues hold back their unbecoming behaviors. Such behaviors are usually a distraction to other learners around them. A teacher may also make a modification to be sure that all the learners sit in a way that they are all visible to him/her. This helps a lot when it comes to classroom management. It reduces or eliminates the chances of a leaner being up to something unconstructive during lessons just because the teacher does not keep an eye on him or her. Classroom organization, as one may observe, is all about understanding learners and responding to their individual needs and differences.
Grouping for Enhanced Learning
When it comes to grouping learners, a teacher has to bear in mind a few things. First, it is not advisable to have all lessons conducted in groups. That way, a teacher’s methodology becomes predictable, and the grouping may eventually fail in meeting its objectives. Grouping depends on the content and objectives of the lesson. One of the primary reasons for grouping learners is to encourage students’ participation as much as possible. It also enhances understanding of the topic and offers an opportunity for creativity and communication.
During grouping, a teacher should consider various cognitive abilities of the learners. This is to imply that a teacher should group learners in ability groups. This enables all the learners in a particular group to cope with the assigned tasks. A teacher should not necessarily group fast learners together. He/she should be able to identify them and give them something extra to do. Otherwise, fast learners may become a problem to their group members after finishing the original task. Other groupings that a teacher may also work with include random groups, fish-bowl groups, jigsaw groups or paired groups. Usually, the aim is to promote the acquisition of knowledge through sharing of ideas. Such approaches achieve the best learning outcomes. This is because they are more learner-centered than teacher-centered. The teacher only acts as a facilitator in many cases.