Why are desks arranged in a circle in your class?
http://www.freeenglishlessons.com/articlelive/articles/14116/1/Why-are-desks-arranged-in-a-circle-in-your-class/Page1.html
Steve McCrea
I've traveled to over 45 countries and I've almost three years in other countries. What can we learn from each other?I've developed a pronunciation system called "It Sounds Like" and I hope people will avoid using IPA (backwards C, a+e, upside-down V). Let's talk! steveEnglishTeacher@hotmail.com or write to freeEnglishLessons@gmail.com. My Orkut and Facebook accounts are both linked to FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com.
I am a teacher at Embassy Fort Lauderdale Study Center. Visit their web site at EmbassyCES and sign up for the grammar lessons.
I have written some articles for Teacher Training -- look for them here.
SKYPE - SteveEnglishTeacher
On MSN Messenger I'm called SteveEnglishTeacher
YouTube accounts: FreeEnglishLessons and Mistermath
========================
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By Steve McCrea
Published on 12/6/2009
Novin, a student in Iran, asked this important question.
Why are desks arranged in a circle in your class?
To answer this question, I wrote to Jeff Mohammed
Dear Jeff
I was your student in April 1997 (Tony Blair came to power just as we were graduating the course).
Here is a question that my student Novin in Iran asks:
i just wanted to get some info about how desks arranged in us classrooms ...
how many ways do you know and exist for desks place in classroom ?
i'm doing a research about quality of education and relation of this to desks direction in classroom
CORRECTION OF GRAMMAR
i just wanted to get some info about how desks ARE arranged in OUR classrooms ...
how many ways do you know and exist for the placement of DESKS in a classroom ?
i'm doing a research project about the quality of education and THE importance of the way desks are arranged in a classroom
I'm doing research about...
=================
Here is my reply to the question: what are different arrangements of chairs in a classroom?
So I told him to contact you...
Traditional classes
1. the desks are in rows and columns
2. The teacher is at one end of the classroom
3. the work is CENTERED ON THE THE TEACHER
4. when students speak, other students need to move in order to watch the lips and hands
In the CELTA method,
1. the desks are in a half-circle
2. the teacher sometimes is in the center, sometimes he puts the students in the center and he sits or walks behind the students
3. it is STUDENT-centered.
4. the teacher does NOT answer the question first.
5. the teacher does NOT correct the student's errors. He asks, "How can we improve this sentence?" perhaps he writes the sentence on the board while the student is talking. When the student finishes speaking, then the teacher asks for the correction.
There are more techniques and differences, but this will be a good start.
RESEARCH: Body language, facial expressions, etc.
the words when written are 7 percent of the meaning.
other parts include inflection (changes in the volume and tone or the high and low notes)
and speed of talking
IN SUMMARY: The arrangement of the desks communicates to a new student that the classroom is CENTERED on the STUDENT and the curriculum will usually follow the physical arrangement.
[12/06/09] FreeEnglishlessons@gmail.com http://www.FreeEnglishLessons.com Steve: A teacher can SAY that he believes in listening to the student, but only if he arranges the chairs in a half-circle does he SHOW that he wants to listen to each person equally.
====================
Then I thought, "Why not get the best references and research citations from Jeff?"
If you have some citations or articles about desk arrangements/seating setups, please send them to me FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com and to Novin mng.n.2006@gmail.com
Thank you.
In exchange, here is a testimonial that I plan to post on the internet. Please let me know if there are any inaccuracies or other references that would better, please contact me FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com
If you have a youtube video, tell me the link.
Steve McCrea
Fort Lauderdale
ESOL instructor at Embassy StudyGroup, Fort Lauderdale Center
mobile 954 646 8246
skype SteveEnglishTeacher
_________ youtube.com/freeenglishlessons _______
I'd like to know what you recommend for the next level of instruction. It's been 12 years since I took your course... What's next in an ESOL teacher's evolution? Do you continue to teach? Or are you retired?
================
__________ http://www.english-international.com/CELTA.html <<<<<<<<<<
This is a webpage about CELTA that was composed by my teacher, Jeff Mohammed. He created in me the model of the ideal teacher. You can write to him directly. Perhaps he will reply to you with some better references.
Testimonial
In 1997 I took the CELTA course with Jeff Mohammed. His direct style, his concentrated approach and clearly set-out lesson plans helped me become the teacher that I am today. I highly recommend his course and his books.
___________________
Need More Advice On TEFL Programs & Job Searching?
Want To Prepare Yourself For Your Training Course?
Jeff Mohamed's book "Teaching English Overseas - A Job Guide For Americans And Canadians" offers expert advice on all aspects of job searching: from choosing a training program to evaluating job offers and dealing with your first weeks of teaching.
Jeff has also produced a grammar development course that will help teachers to get the maximum benefit from CELTA and other intensive TEFL training courses. For more details of these publications, click here.
-----------------
Comment by S. McCrea:
If you want to get a good start in a new career.
If you don't know exactly what you want to do with your life,
If you want to learn how to teach concepts in a method that will STICK with a wide variety of learners,
then take the CELTA course -- and why not take it with Jeff Mohammed?
If the best teacher (that Steve knows) is still teaching, why would you look for a substitute? If someone is 80% as good as Jeff, you will get 80% of the results. As Jimmy Carter wrote in 1975, "Why not the best?"
Jeff's contact info:
To contact E.I., please e-mail EngIntSF@aol.com or write to:
English International
14627 Cypress Valley Drive
Cypress, TX, 77429
USA
HIS PUBLICATIONS: http://www.english-international.com/publications.html
You can't find these books easily online. You need to order the book DIRECTLY from English International
==================
Steve McCrea
http://twitter.com/freeenglish
http://twitter.com/indeeducator
http://twitter.com/theebookman
IndependentEducator.com
steveEnglishTeacher skype
my mobile 1 954 646 8246
FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com (all email messages sent to me converge on this address)
NOVIN then asked
do this CELTA proccess for teaching (specially about dess direction) works for all kinds of classes ?
I'll put all subjects that we have in iran schools and tell me if this method of teaching works for us ... just tell me your idea !
Steve: THE CELTA PROCESS is not good if the teacher wants to DOMINATE the students
You don't want students to feel equal, so you put the students you like in the front of the class and you push the "bad" students to the rear of the class
If you are teaching chemistry, it is difficult to move the chemistry material into a circle. It is not an effective use of space, perhaps, if you are teaching a LABORATORY class but you can ask the students to sit near you in a half circle when you give them a lecture.
Please ask Jeff for his response...
Dear Jeff
I was your student in April 1997 (Tony Blair came to power just as we were graduating the course).
Here is a question that my student Novin in Iran asks:
i just wanted to get some info about how desks arranged in us classrooms ...
how many ways do you know and exist for desks place in classroom ?
i'm doing a research about quality of education and relation of this to desks direction in classroom
CORRECTION OF GRAMMAR
i just wanted to get some info about how desks ARE arranged in OUR classrooms ...
how many ways do you know and exist for the placement of DESKS in a classroom ?
i'm doing a research project about the quality of education and THE importance of the way desks are arranged in a classroom
I'm doing research about...
=================
Here is my reply to the question: what are different arrangements of chairs in a classroom?
So I told him to contact you...
Traditional classes
1. the desks are in rows and columns
2. The teacher is at one end of the classroom
3. the work is CENTERED ON THE THE TEACHER
4. when students speak, other students need to move in order to watch the lips and hands
In the CELTA method,
1. the desks are in a half-circle
2. the teacher sometimes is in the center, sometimes he puts the students in the center and he sits or walks behind the students
3. it is STUDENT-centered.
4. the teacher does NOT answer the question first.
5. the teacher does NOT correct the student's errors. He asks, "How can we improve this sentence?" perhaps he writes the sentence on the board while the student is talking. When the student finishes speaking, then the teacher asks for the correction.
There are more techniques and differences, but this will be a good start.
RESEARCH: Body language, facial expressions, etc.
the words when written are 7 percent of the meaning.
other parts include inflection (changes in the volume and tone or the high and low notes)
and speed of talking
IN SUMMARY: The arrangement of the desks communicates to a new student that the classroom is CENTERED on the STUDENT and the curriculum will usually follow the physical arrangement.
[12/06/09] FreeEnglishlessons@gmail.com http://www.FreeEnglishLessons.com Steve: A teacher can SAY that he believes in listening to the student, but only if he arranges the chairs in a half-circle does he SHOW that he wants to listen to each person equally.
====================
Then I thought, "Why not get the best references and research citations from Jeff?"
If you have some citations or articles about desk arrangements/seating setups, please send them to me FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com and to Novin mng.n.2006@gmail.com
Thank you.
In exchange, here is a testimonial that I plan to post on the internet. Please let me know if there are any inaccuracies or other references that would better, please contact me FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com
If you have a youtube video, tell me the link.
Steve McCrea
Fort Lauderdale
ESOL instructor at Embassy StudyGroup, Fort Lauderdale Center
mobile 954 646 8246
skype SteveEnglishTeacher
_________ youtube.com/freeenglishlessons _______
I'd like to know what you recommend for the next level of instruction. It's been 12 years since I took your course... What's next in an ESOL teacher's evolution? Do you continue to teach? Or are you retired?
================
__________ http://www.english-international.com/CELTA.html <<<<<<<<<<
This is a webpage about CELTA that was composed by my teacher, Jeff Mohammed. He created in me the model of the ideal teacher. You can write to him directly. Perhaps he will reply to you with some better references.
Testimonial
In 1997 I took the CELTA course with Jeff Mohammed. His direct style, his concentrated approach and clearly set-out lesson plans helped me become the teacher that I am today. I highly recommend his course and his books.
___________________
Need More Advice On TEFL Programs & Job Searching?
Want To Prepare Yourself For Your Training Course?
Jeff Mohamed's book "Teaching English Overseas - A Job Guide For Americans And Canadians" offers expert advice on all aspects of job searching: from choosing a training program to evaluating job offers and dealing with your first weeks of teaching.
Jeff has also produced a grammar development course that will help teachers to get the maximum benefit from CELTA and other intensive TEFL training courses. For more details of these publications, click here.
-----------------
Comment by S. McCrea:
If you want to get a good start in a new career.
If you don't know exactly what you want to do with your life,
If you want to learn how to teach concepts in a method that will STICK with a wide variety of learners,
then take the CELTA course -- and why not take it with Jeff Mohammed?
If the best teacher (that Steve knows) is still teaching, why would you look for a substitute? If someone is 80% as good as Jeff, you will get 80% of the results. As Jimmy Carter wrote in 1975, "Why not the best?"
Jeff's contact info:
To contact E.I., please e-mail EngIntSF@aol.com or write to:
English International
14627 Cypress Valley Drive
Cypress, TX, 77429
USA
HIS PUBLICATIONS: http://www.english-international.com/publications.html
You can't find these books easily online. You need to order the book DIRECTLY from English International
==================
Steve McCrea
http://twitter.com/freeenglish
http://twitter.com/indeeducator
http://twitter.com/theebookman
IndependentEducator.com
steveEnglishTeacher skype
my mobile 1 954 646 8246
FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com (all email messages sent to me converge on this address)
NOVIN then asked
do this CELTA proccess for teaching (specially about dess direction) works for all kinds of classes ?
I'll put all subjects that we have in iran schools and tell me if this method of teaching works for us ... just tell me your idea !
Steve: THE CELTA PROCESS is not good if the teacher wants to DOMINATE the students
You don't want students to feel equal, so you put the students you like in the front of the class and you push the "bad" students to the rear of the class
If you are teaching chemistry, it is difficult to move the chemistry material into a circle. It is not an effective use of space, perhaps, if you are teaching a LABORATORY class but you can ask the students to sit near you in a half circle when you give them a lecture.
Please ask Jeff for his response...