Choosing the right classroom setup can feel like a challenge, since every room and group of students is different. What works well one year might be a complete failure the next. It’s smart to have a variety of classroom seating arrangements in your toolkit so you can make changes whenever you need to.
How To Choose the Best Classroom Setup and Seating Arrangements
The right seating arrangement depends on your needs, and there’s no one best setup. Many teachers these days are trying out flexible seating, though it’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for more-traditional classroom setup ideas, there are still plenty of options to consider. But how to choose? Ask yourself these questions:
What type of instruction do you use most often?
If you mainly do teacher-led instruction like lectures, you’ll want to choose a setup that keeps students focused on the front of the classroom. But if your students do a lot of small-group work or whole-class discussion, desk groupings might be more effective.
What do you have to work with?
How big is your classroom? Do you have tables or individual desks? These two factors will play a huge part in the setup you choose. For instance, a horseshoe shape is terrific for fostering class discussion, but you’ll wind up with a lot of wasted space in the middle. If your classroom is already cramped, this won’t work well for you.
Can you see every student’s face as you teach? Can every student easily see you?
Teachers know it’s important to be able to make eye contact to check for understanding as they teach. It’s also important that every student be able to see you and your visual aids, without straining or feeling uncomfortable. Tip: Don’t forget to consider how you’ll monitor student screens to ensure everyone is staying on track.
Do you need to keep students separated?
In some cases, it’s better to keep students at arm’s length from one another for safety or behavior reasons. If you have desks, a grid setup will likely be your best choice. For tables, try seating students one on each side, staggered so they’re not directly facing each other.
Can you easily move around the classroom and get to each student if needed?
Unless you’re lecturing to a very large group, you’ll likely need to be able to move from seat to seat, checking work and answering questions. Think about how you’ll give yourself enough space to do that, and if you’ll have a sense of privacy when talking to individual students at their seats.
How will you accommodate seating needs from IEPs/504s?
Many (if not most) IEPs and 504 plans specify that the student is to have preferential seating of some sort. This might be near the teacher, away from distractions, close to an interpreter, etc. Will your preferred seating plan allow you to accommodate these requirements?
Popular Classroom Seating Arrangement Options
Keep all of the above questions in mind as you consider whether one of these classroom setup ideas will work for you.
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Grid
What It Looks Like: Individual desks are spaced apart from one another in neat rows.
Best for: Traditional classrooms, teacher-led instruction
Pros: Grid arrangements keep all eyes focused on the teacher. They make it easy for an instructor to move from desk to desk and keep distance between students to minimize distractions.
Cons: This arrangement doesn’t work well for whole-class discussions. It’s also not ideal for group work, although students might be able to move their desks together as needed.
Similar Option: To save space, you can move desks closer to one another in columns, leaving room for the teacher to walk up and down the aisles in between.
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Horseshoe
What It Looks Like: Desks are arranged in an open U shape, with squared or rounded corners.
Best for: Class discussions, interactive instruction, teacher-led instruction
Pros: This arrangement is popular for subjects like literature and humanities classes, where students can see each other easily as they exchange ideas. The teacher can stand or sit at the open end of the U, or move around from seat to seat on the inside or outside.
Cons: You’ll wind up with a lot of wasted empty space in the middle, which isn’t ideal for smaller classrooms.
Alternate Option: Arrange desks in a complete circle or square, with the teacher taking any one of the seats. (Don’t try to teach from the middle—it’s too hard to see all students’ faces.)
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Double U
What It Looks Like: It’s a large horseshoe with a smaller horseshoe inside it.
Best for: Teacher-led instruction, class discussion in smaller classrooms
Pros: If you have a smaller classroom, this setup can accommodate class discussion while also keeping eyes focused on the teacher. The teacher can move around the inside and outside to reach individual students as needed.
Cons: Some students will have their backs to others in this setup, making whole-class discussion a little less effective.
Alternate Option: Side-by-side horseshoes may work better in oblong classrooms.
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Herringbone
What It Looks Like: On both the right and left side of the classroom, position rows of two to four desks equally spaced apart and angled slightly toward the center of the room. The arrangement resembles the skeleton of a fish.
Best for: Focusing on the teacher or board with occasional group discussions.
Pros: This setup helps students focus on the teacher or board at the front of the classroom.
Cons: Herringbone arrangements aren’t the best option for group discussions.
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Side-by-Side Pairs
What It Looks Like: Students sit side-by-side with a partner, either at small tables or two desks arranged next to each other. Students usually both face front.
Best for: Lab work, teacher-led instruction
Pros: This setup is popular when students work on science labs with partners, while also accommodating lectures or other teacher-led instruction. It’s easy for the teacher to circulate from pair to pair.
Cons: Not all partner pairings are a success. Be prepared to be flexible and rearrange pairings as needed.
Alternate Option: Students may sit facing each other, side-on to the front of the classroom.
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Face-to-Face Pairs
What It Looks Like: Students sit face-to-face with a partner, either at small tables or two desks arranged next to each other. Students usually both face front.
Best for: Lab work, teacher-led instruction
Pros: This setup is popular when students work on science labs with partners, while also accommodating lectures or other teacher-led instruction. It’s easy for the teacher to circulate from pair to pair.
Cons: Not all partner pairings are a success. Be prepared to be flexible and rearrange pairings as needed.
Alternate Option: Students may sit facing each other, side-on to the front of the classroom.
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Small Groups (Tables)
What It Looks Like: Groups of students sit together, either at round or square tables.
Best for: Group work, small-group discussion
Pros: If your students spend a lot of time working in small groups, this setup with tables makes that easy. The teacher can move from group to group as needed.
Cons: At least some students won’t be seated facing the front of the classroom.
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Small Groups (Desks)
What It Looks Like: Groups of students sit together by pushing their desks together.
Best for: Group work, small-group discussion
Pros: Desks offer more flexibility for creating small groups than tables. As an alternative, set up groups in mini horseshoes or V’s with the open ends all facing the front of the classroom. This makes it easier for students to see you and for you to see them.
Cons: Independent work can be harder in this setup for students who don’t deal well with distractions.
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Roundtable
What It Looks Like: All students and the teacher sit together around one large table or group of desks pushed together.
Best for: Class discussion, small classes
Pros: This intimate setup is ideal for fostering a sense of equality among students. It’s especially great for open discussions, Socratic seminars, and debates.
Cons: Roundtables take the focus off the teacher, which may not be ideal in every classroom. They also make it harder for some students to work independently.
Alternate Option: Face-to-face rows of desks, with some students on each side of the room, can create a similar feel while making independent work easier.
Want your free seating charts for one or more of these arrangements?
Fill out the form on this page and get printable versions of all the classroom seating arrangements featured above. You’ll receive a printable PDF plus a fully editable Google Slides version.
