How does the position of working desks change the organization in classroom?

       In the first few years of work, I do a lot of experiments with work-desk layouts. As a first-year teacher, I initially used the general line principle. However, I was slightly uncomfortable in the classroom, mainly because as soon as I wanted the students to work in groups, the classroom reshuffle began. The process takes at least 5 minutes from a lesson only to organize in working groups. I know it's possible to introduce some good routine, and it would certainly work out more quickly in time, but I was a little too lazy for it.

        And that's how I found my solution, which led to other revelations. One day I decided to lay out all the classroom tables at five working stations where 4 to 6 pupils would sit at each. After that day, I have liked the station's idea, and the tables in my classroom have never stood anymore differently. Why?

         Here are my benefits: 

1. as needed, I can organize both individual and group work without changing the rhythm; 
2. when preparing laboratory work, I always know how many stations I will have to make materials; 
3. although pupils are allowed to sit freely, there will often be different levels of knowledge at the table, and pupils start efficiently helping the group members; 
4. within an hour, I can approach each group at least 2 or 3 times. If the pupils were sitting at 15 tables, it would take me a lot more effort; 
5. and most importantly! Working on deep-thinking tasks in such groups succeeded in achieving the best results! 

       Every time I go to my colleagues, who call sharing experience, my first question is what the position of the class will be. When I go into a class with a row layout, there is a little panic in me - can I do what I intended? But I understand - the goals of the lesson can be achieved in any circumstance - but working stations is a model where I feel the best. 

Ask the question differently – think deeper

Every year when the young pupils come to my class, the first thing they understand is that there is a lot to be worked and thought independently in an hour because there are no correct answers in front of the teacher. I like the principle of task-making, which is commonly called deep thinking. These are tasks that do not require standard solutions but need students to link their prior knowledge to the new ones to solve the task.

There are many ideas, and I finally decided to share them. Sharing ideas is my way of growing. In addition to the challenge – my working language is not English. Therefore, every record and material worked twice.

My grand goal is an e-book, which will summarize the deep-thinking tasks to use during the learning process in physic. But I begin with little steps, starting this blog, to describe my ideas, examples, and experiences in how they have managed realized in the classroom. I'll be glad if you find ideas to try in your class too!