How have our Math/POA lessons changed with the new 21CC Seating Arrangement? by Sarah Lee

Kar Wee

ang_kar_wee1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:43:29 UTC

Easier to ask questions and for students to have a quick buzz within their tables. There is more student voices in the class now.
Few sleepy students? Compared to being seated in individual rows, students are more awake now.

Wan Ting

2025-01-31 00:43:59 UTC

Students are more ready to ask each other how to solve questions.

Less students are left out.

engracia_lim1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:44:06 UTC

1) The new seating arrangement encourages collaborative learning. This setup helps students work together, share ideas, and solve problems as a team.

2) It improves communication and allows students to learn from each other.

Kar Wee

ang_kar_wee1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:45:02 UTC

Asking a lot more questions as a teacher. We need to get more comfortable to be the facilitator of learning rather than being a teacher. Students can actually take more ownership of their learning when they are in a group setting. Facilitate more discussions through research and group based learning.

Meng Kiat

wee_meng_kiat1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:45:23 UTC

Easier to get students to discuss something as they are already in closer proximity.

Easier to create a game / competitive environment.

2025-01-31 00:45:55 UTC

Better collaboration and ability to work as a team between students. Can plan for more team efforts.

Unfortunately, some students use the chance to not give any input. So we will have to vigilant and ensure as far as possible all in the group will contribute.

2025-01-31 00:46:21 UTC

The seating arrangement allows students to help each other or seek help from their peers during lesson, especially when they are doing class practice. Just need to remind them to keep their volumes down sometimes.

The very quiet/shy students also get to benefit from this arrangement as they get to hear from others.

engracia_lim1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:46:34 UTC

The deliberate grouping of my students with mixed abilities. By intentionally pairing students of varying skill levels, stronger students can help support those who may need more guidance, while also reinforcing their own understanding. It helps all students to grow at their own pace, while benefiting from the strengths of their peers.

2025-01-31 00:46:36 UTC

Students seem ok with new layout.

One student position has great difficulty see the board. Results in student adjusts to board and re-adjusts back for CoL.

Shared work/solution.

Carolyn

2025-01-31 00:46:36 UTC

1. Some students are asking to sit together with their classmate who can help with their work.

2. With mixed group, they are slowly getting used to new people. The stronger ones are slowly stepping up to help their groupmates.

Eileen

eileenkoh2_1 — 2025-01-31 00:46:37 UTC

1) More discussion in new seating arrangment among their table peers.

2) Peer coaching is more evident.

SW

2025-01-31 00:46:52 UTC

Easier for students to discuss/check answers with one another.
Some students are not comfortable seating sideway facing the whiteboard and requested for a change.

Meng Kiat

wee_meng_kiat1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:46:58 UTC

I tried to create group competition in my 2G2 class, giving points for 1-qn quiz and other class-related items e.g. homework submission.

Sarah

sarah_lee_suyi1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:47:14 UTC

Students are discussing more and clarifying with one another more.
Students are generally more engaged though there are groups who may get carried away in their discussions at an unsuitable time.

More collaboration

2025-01-31 00:47:27 UTC

For my sec 1 classes, i noticed that the students are helping one another within the group. Students will also remind their peers to get ready for lesson and stay on task. It could be due to the competitive nature of the students and the ongoing point system.

However in my sec 3 classes, maybe this seating is new to them, i don’t see that much collaboration going on.

2025-01-31 00:47:30 UTC

Facilitate more learning of real life applications through team research and presentation to hopefully try to inject some interest in the topics and subject.

beh_yu_lin1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:47:39 UTC

1) There is more conversation among the students. Students discuss among each other / peer teach and checking in on each other to do their work, but at the same time there is also more chit chat amongst the students.

2) Easier to get volunteers to present solutions on the board by asking each group to send a representative.

3) Easier to collect / distribute work as well, more opportunities for students to step up as a group leader.

Wan Ting

2025-01-31 00:47:54 UTC

Let the students be used to group discussion, the word "discuss" was said more often in class. Ask a student to answer question, if he/she can't answer, ask anyone from the same table to help (forcing them work as a team)

Patricia

2025-01-31 00:49:07 UTC

Students will check answers with one another.

Some students may choose to remind passive during discussions. Teacher will need to monitor.

2025-01-31 00:50:06 UTC

I gave them a group exercise after teaching them on inequality and drawing number line. Most of the groups collaborated by splitting up the questions. Can tell that very little checking of each other's work as the quality of work is different for each question.

SW

2025-01-31 00:50:24 UTC

Most groups are being formed with two boys and two girls so less likely to have groups being too noisy.

2025-01-31 00:50:43 UTC

Mixed ability arrangement for better support

Some group competition

beh_yu_lin1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:51:02 UTC

Grouping of students based on abilities and friends so that they are comfortable to ask each other for help. I tried out a reward system with Sec 1s which excites them.

Eileen

eileenkoh2_1 — 2025-01-31 00:51:22 UTC

Students need to understand that the grouping can change anytime too. For instance, the grouping can be flexible too for DI lessons. Students that chose same task can be grouped together so that they could work together and discuss. They could also be grouped according to their learning ability during revision etc.

Khia Yee

tan_khia_yee1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:51:47 UTC

I will get students to share among their group even if it is a very simple conception question.
Students will share and help with each other among the group.

Sarah

sarah_lee_suyi1_1 — 2025-01-31 00:52:12 UTC

Generate more responses by telling the groups that at least one person per group has to answer. If the group member is stuck, anyone from the group will have to help him/her.

Patricia

2025-01-31 00:52:43 UTC

Group students with mixed ability so that the lower ability students will not feel "lost".

Points system

2025-01-31 00:53:25 UTC

This system works well in the sec 1 classroom. Students get points for asking questions, doing homework, good quality answers and being prepared for lessons.

For my sec 3 classes, it works better for my block A (weaker class) as compared to my block B (stronger but quieter).