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A creative sitting arrangement would also be part of my ideal classroom. My classroom would have a circular sitting chart in which students would have opportunity to speak to one another and share their ideas. I would also try to include comfortable seating for students. Medina explains in his text how rest and comfort only help the brain to further develop.

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My ideal classroom would have, just like in the Shekou international school, a large space for students to move around, collaborate, and feel comfortable in. An open and bright classroom environment plays a significant role in student learning. This idea connects to Brain Rule #2 which stresses mobility in order to achieve mental sharpness.

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Students Take Ownership

So I visited the class. It was in the unfinished basement of an old school -- cement floors and walls, ceiling-to-floor poles throughout the room. It was more like an interrogation chamber than a classroom. Our "humanistic exercises" were a bad joke in this setting.

I suggested that she ditch the exercises and work with the class to totally change the physical environment. I knew she'd have support from a principal committed to transforming this school. The plan we developed was to piece together carpet remnants from local merchants, seek paint donations from paint shops, and come up with wall decorations, either student-designed or donated.

They spent six weeks doing little else. When I came back and walked to my seat across the warm, brightly-carpeted floor, I experienced a wonderland of painted walls and poles, and a gallery of photographs, paintings and textured wall hangings The teacher told me that the process of doing this had created trust, community and ego strength, unlike our misplaced exercises. She was finding the students far more motivated. They were happy to be in this place they'd created.

There are at least two lessons from this story.

1. The physical structure of a classroom is a critical variable in affecting student morale and learning.

2. Students' involvement in the process of creating their environment can empower them, develop community and increase motivation.

The Custodian's Favorite Arrangement

Here's a related story. One of my mentors at U Mass did his doctorate in classroom environments. He then took a temporary job as head custodian of a school to get a better firsthand sense of the physical environments of schools. One of his primary conclusions was that classrooms were usually arranged to meet the needs of the custodial staff more than the needs of students. This was reinforced for me both as a high school teacher and university professor. I always arranged the chairs in a semicircle and always returned the next day to find the chairs placed in rows.

A Short Course in Classroom Arrangement

It's conventional wisdom that different types of instruction require different seating arrangements. It's also a no-brainer that classrooms should be inviting, environments that make students feel good to be there. Unfortunately, over the years I've visited classroom after classroom where conventional wisdom appeared to be disregarded. So here's a short course.

If you have seats in rows, students at the front can't see any of the students in the class. Those in the back mostly just see the heads of their fellow classmates. If that's your arrangement for establishing order and your primary approach to teaching is not interactive, that will work. Given my goals as a teacher, I wouldn't even consider a job at a school that had desks nailed to the floor in rows.

If you have a room filled with tables, that will be excellent for group work, but you'll need to move the tables to the back and sides when you want to bring students together for other purposes. I had small tables in my university classroom, because that's what I was given. I arranged the tables in a semicircle, with 3-4 students at each, some with their backs to the table for most activities. A semicircle encourages interaction and enables all students to see each other. This is important if you place a high value on relationships between students, building community and creating an open environment.

When I did a workshop that included significant student sharing, building community and increasing trust, I found a space with chairs, preferably ones with writing surfaces for note taking. If that wasn't possible, we moved the tables and used the center of the room for chairs. Moveable chairs, with or without writing surfaces, provide maximum flexibility for any kind of teaching.

Classrooms with minimal windows and minimal outside light increase student depression. At the other extreme, windows without adequate room darkeners make visual media difficult to use.

Students spend much of their day in classrooms that almost never feel warm and homelike. Rooms that do will improve student morale and make students happier to be there. This requires having more on the walls than butcher paper! It provides the opportunity for students to help create an inviting environment that supports positive interaction. And it empowers students in the process.

I'm also aware that many high school teachers don't have a single classroom. So the best they can do is to rearrange seating each time they enter the next classroom. Having two or three student volunteers to do this helps. It's also possible to get other teachers who use the room to cooperate in the process of making the room more inviting.

More Ideas, More Resources

I've just scratched the surface of a complex topic and plan to do a blog later this summer on the design of schools and classrooms. But in the meantime, here are some great resources for taking this idea farther:

One of the best is The Third Teacher, a collaborative work from Abrams Books.

The Classroom Design page of the Behavior Advisor site is a rich resource for guiding options on arranging classrooms.

Classroom Desk Arrangement, while a bit less easy to follow, is also filled with rich ideas.

For more general direction from the University of North Carolina School of Education, Kristi Smith's 12 rules are a quick, useful guide to things you need to think about.

Scott Doorley and Scott Witthoft's Make Space: How to Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration is more generally focused, but educators can find many creative ideas for physical environments that maximize participant cooperation and creativity.

Well-Being and Motivation

There are some general guidelines that I think cut across all approaches:

1. Classroom physical environment affects morale and student learning.

2. The environment should match your objectives, both in terms of human interaction and your instructional approach.

3. The arrangement of seating is one major variable.

4. Including students in creating the physical environment can enhance that environment, increase the feeling of classroom community, and give students a sense of empowerment.

I'll leave you with one more thought. If you're a teacher, you spend a good part of your life in places that should feel more like a warm home than a cold, impersonal office building or warehouse. So consider increasing your own sense of well-being and motivation as much as increasing these qualities for your students.

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A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms | Edutopia

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It's conventional wisdom that different types of instruction require different seating arrangements. It's also a no-brainer that classrooms should be inviting, environments that make students feel good to be there. Unfortunately, over the years I've visited classroom after classroom where conventional wisdom appeared to be disregarded. So here's a short course.

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I prefer to have students sitting together in small circles during whole or partial group discussions.  This is especially difficult in desks and can be just as challenging when asking students to sit on the floor and you expect some note taking.  Take time to contact a local milk company to request plastic milk crates.  The crates can serve as a shelving system during most days and can double as seats.  Simply distribute to each person and arrange the crates in any way you'd like.  If you are especially adventurous, you could create cushions for each.
http://www.literacylovescompany.com/2016_03_01_archive.html

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I like to incorporate movement into my classroom by using gonoodle.com. It is free to sign up and is always being updated. Each activity on this site is a brain break that incorporates quick opportunities to move. Activities range from relaxing meditation that is mixed with humor to dance moves that are guided by professional dancers or from athletic skills taught by an Olympic champion to funny and humorous videos. This very accessible site perfectly highlights brain rule #1: exercise boosts brain power. www.gonoodle.com

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The following 3 videos show how a teacher redesigned his non-functioning room into a functioning space that is now bright, inviting, and fosters collaboration and learning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y2IaAC5vj4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxHVX7gbk6s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml17ynz8FG4

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The following article from Edutopia.org offers tips on how to redesign your classroom in order to meet student needs.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/8-tips-and-tricks-redesign-your-classroom

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This floor plan allows students to move throughout the classroom as needed. The carpet in the center can be used for direct instruction. The desks are grouped for collaboration. Student can return to desks after instruction. Students have a computer easily accessible to them when needed. A quiet space is offered with comfy seating.

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I use Adventure to Fitness to utilize Brain Rule #2 and teach the kids a little something. Each video takes kids on an adventure (the attached video relates to asteroids) while they must jump, duck, paddle, run in place, skip, etc. to travel with the tour guide. While getting in this movement, the guide is teaching about the given topic.  The bad news is that it is not free, but there's always grants you can write for a subscription! https://youtu.be/l3YpvMu577U

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The Upgrade System is a balance and motion platform at a height adjustable standing desk.  This relates to Brain Rule #2, exercise/motion can increase cognitive function.
https://youtu.be/4waM2hBaOqA

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This class uses various forms of sensory integration in terms of their seating arrangements
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2F40%2Fa4%2Fc9%2F40a4c903c7f480886d6ec15bf6a40ccb.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F314055773989803177%2F&docid=LZtq7aZpaPSI6M&tbnid=Af8xxSTSUUBEqM%3A&w=736&h=552&bih=651&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwj-0Y3w953NAhUXwWMKHXM_CwIQMwgfKAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

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Here is another way to incorporate movement into the classroom. These action cards can be incorporated while reviewing sight words, addition and subtraction families, multiplication facts, and numerous other facts. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EKdi4TALN1k/TREo2GXxNAI/AAAAAAAAK4Y/NKwRn5KXAoM/s1600/action+card1.jpg

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Students in this 1st grade classroom learn their sight words by jumping on lily pads across the classroom, utilizing Brain Rule #2 Exercise! http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jILt5t-60U/UAsv6CU1mhI/AAAAAAAADVc/RjB31XU2Pf4/s1600/036.JPG

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Students in this 1st grade classroom are learning their sight words by hopping on lily pads across the room, utilizing Brain Rule #2 Exercise!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jILt5t-60U/UAsv6CU1mhI/AAAAAAAADVc/RjB31XU2Pf4/s1600/036.JPG

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In Medina's Brain Rule # 3 sleep well/think well, and Brain Rule # 7 the way memory works, got me thinking about another interesting new study I found about how to keep the mind focused, energized and students calm.  Essential Oils! Along with the balance/yoga balls I am implementing in my classroom I am also going to begin diffusing certain essential oils (based on studies).  I believe this is a great way to naturally enhance students minds and with the inability to always get outside this could be a great simple solution to simulating outside nature, smells and healing oils along with plenty of natural sunlight from uncovered windows.
www.youngliving.com
http://doterrablog.com/essential-oils-in-the-classroom-part-1
https://www.pinterest.com/source/overstuffedlife.com/

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The ideal physical arrangement of the classroom should contain some variety. Although variety causes decision making and decision making may cause stress for some people, the brain needs a healthy amount of stress to stay active, alert, and focused. There is a vast amount of ways to create a physical environment that delivers variety but another component of that variety would be the use of the particular space and the procedures/routines developed and practiced to use that space appropriately.  In Medina's Brain Rule's number 1 he discusses the fact that human brains evolved and we evolved through adaptation. Therefore,  rearranging the classroom often or even just each trimester would definitely create an environment of adaptation to variation.  I like to change my seating arrangements each trimester (or as needed) however, with some of these classroom arrangements pictured I believe that I wouldn't have to change the arrangement as often because the students would be rotating around the room so often doing different activities and working in different small groups (different from the person they sit next to).  It would be ideal to have enough space in the classroom to create these types of environments but unfortunately it seems every classroom I have ever been in has enough room for the technology desk (projector/smartboard), teacher desk, and 28-36 student desks; which doesn't really allow the ability to have room to create the ideal, but one can hope someday.  There are several more wonderful arrangements I enjoyed at Edutopia.org

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I am actually trying out the balance ball, core exercise  balls in my classroom this coming school year. I only will start out with 4 (and rotate them) as I have to buy them myself. I have used them in the past from Sped teachers for my autistic, ADHD, students. However, I strongly believe this would be a great for change for all students. No one is designed to sit still in a hard wooden/plastic chair for 6 hours a day and any unique change to the traditional style learning environment would be a welcomed changed for any and all students.  Of course I will post rules and proper procedures to use the balance balls and I am certain it will be a wonderful addition to my classroom.  The balance balls help include movement and engage the students whole body/core to help activate their learning and is a perfect example of how to help students focus, such as in yoga.  In Medina's brain rule # 2 he mentions that our bodies were meant for movement (about 12 miles a day) and the more we move, stay active and exercise our bodies we can in turn activate our brains.

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Seating Arrangement Ideas: Thought this was an interesting post listing pros and cons of different desk configurations.
http://www.displays2go.com/Article/Effective-Classroom-Seating-Arrangements-32

This link has several sites to help you plan out seating arrangements in your space ahead of time.
http://www.theschoolsupplyaddict.com/room-setup.html

Also- LOVE these "diamond desks" for flexible groups. Their smaller size and shape just lends itself to frequent movement, and frees up space in your room for other potential centers or alternative seating types.
https://www.worthingtondirect.com/desks/diamond-desk-by-smith-system.htm

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Turn your desks into whiteboard tables to foster collaboration. I saw this and it reminded me of the whiteboard walls shown in the Shekou International School video. Not sure if all principals would allow this, but an interesting idea none the less.

Video Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhH2tFCi7o0

Blog: http://sproutclassrooms.com/classroom-diy-whiteboard-tables/

Alternate Method: http://lifehacker.com/5563786/diy-dry-erase-tabletop-turns-any-table-into-a-polished-whiteboard

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Flexible learning spaces allow students to choose a spot where they're most comfortable. These spaces are helpful for students who need more physical movement.
http://www.hastingsstargazette.com/news/education/4005318-goodbye-desks-hastings-classrooms-add-flexible-learning-spaces

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Students in this 1st grade class don't sit in chairs--they do their work in stand-up desks. The teacher says students are more attentive and engaged in class. Standing desks also help legs get stronger. A strengthening regimen increases cognitive function.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/grade-1-delisle-students-benefit-from-stand-up-desks-justin-sauer-says-1.2953502

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The ideal physical classroom space would include opportunities for social cooperation between students allows them to learn from one another and work on common goals.

Designated Group Areas

Fishbowl Socratic Seminar Setup

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The ideal physical classroom space would include opportunities for genuine movement. Movement gives your brain a boost. Movement in the classroom helps students improve their thinking skills.

Flexible Seating Stations

Alternative Seating

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Bouncy/Yoga Ball Seats: I like that I found a variety of ways you could use bouncy balls as seating in the classroom. I really love the idea of putting them in crates to provide movement (exercise/stress/sensory, but still keep in contained. Pilates bands also give it a base to provide less expensive alternatives to the yoga ball chairs that can be pricey.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20131229/NEWSCHIEF/131229156

https://diy.org/ogel/54666

http://www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/08/teachers_use_movement_to_keep.html

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/329677635195167818/

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Shoeless Learning: An interesting concept, I have not heard of before. Students seems to benefit from this because they feel comfortable (stress/senses). One theory on why this is successful, is that it feels more like home. I also think it might even the playing field so to speak, because everyone has one thing in common that is visible right away- they're shoeless! My only concern in my 6th graders have stinky feet- especially on PE days! That might not be good for the senses!
http://rubble.heppell.net/places/shoeless/default.html

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Tiered Seating: Again- student buy in and choice will help students feel at easy in the classroom (stress rule). In addition, a few of the different tiers provide students with opportunities to move instead of being required to sit in a chair (exercise rule). I think this a way for middle school and high school to provide flexible seating for students in a more manageable way considering the larger bodies and the shorter periods. One could still have tiered seating in groups, facing each other to encourage more conversation (memory rule). With this option you could still have assigned seats more easily than with with ideas I presented in my #1 posting.
http://terrificthird.blogspot.com/2015/11/a-tiered-classroom.html

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Flexible Seating: Giving students choice in their seating will help them feel safe and reduce stress (stress rule).  In addition many of these options provide opportunity for movement and stimulations of multiple senses (senses rule & exercise rule). Here are a couple links with various options for flexible seating, as well as information on getting it up and running with student buy in. Many of these options lend themselves to have students working in groups. Groups will lead to more discussion which will lead to better retention (memory rule). Exploring different seating options will help students learn what will help them learn best (survival/exploration)
http://teach2love.blogspot.com/2016/04/flexible-seating.html

http://www.literacylovescompany.com/2016/04/flexible-classroom-seating.html

http://luckylittlelearners.com/2016/01/flexible-seating.html

http://kindergartenisgrrreat.blogspot.com/2016/02/18-flexible-seating-ideas-for-your.html

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Check out the link: this-school-has-bikes-instead-of-desks-and-it-turns-out-thats-a-better-way-to-learn