Research as has shown the classroom environment including seating arrangement influences learning success. In Mrs. Rushton’s fourth grade classroom, the room is arranged to accommodate various learning activities and structures. “The conditions within the classroom are diverse and unique. As such, it is important to analyze and explore which perceptions teachers may have about how classroom seating arrangements will impact students’ classroom learning”
(Fernandes, Huang, & Rinaldo, 2011, p. 75). Rearranging the classroom learning stations is necessary to reduce confusion and off-task behavior. Leila especially requires a different arrangement that will support her engagement with her assignments. After observing the classroom, the distractions
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“Simply seating students away from others was nearly as effective in increasing on-task behavior as the systematic use of differential reinforcement and delivery of tangible rewards” (Bicard, 2012, p. 407). Since two minimal or complete lack of structure is detrimental to student learning (Westling, Pyhältö, Pietarinen, & Soini, 2017, p. 362) the teacher needs to support autonomy by assisting Leila with breaking down assignments into short manageable tasks on a visual check-list with time limits to complete assignment. A reward system can be implemented as she intrinsically adopts this behavior pattern. In addition, “activities should be engaging and interesting, challenging but not frustrating, and teachers should model and demonstrate the activities for student understanding” (Worthy, 2015, p. 175). Worthy further encourages teachers to continuously reflect and refine assignments to support students with lower achievement (p. 177). Being able to fully understand the expectations of an independent work assignment will ensure that Leila can do what is expected of her. This is why she should sit closer to the teacher, so not only does she see but the teacher is also able to check for