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I assigned back-row seats to students who could see well enough to see the board, hear well enough not to miss anything, were attentive, and participated willingly in class. When those in the back participate, those in the middle and front are part of the group. If the most willing participants are in the front (as they might be if they chose the seats themselves), then those behind them are less likely to remain part of the group. They will be less attentive and participate less.
Yes, sometimes students who need closer watching end up in front - though the "closer watching" may or may not be due to attention or discipline. A student who sought his classmate's attention might end up in the back.
Back when I was a baby teacher 30-some-odd years ago I was taught a technique to assign seats the first day as the students come in. The following year, and for every year since, I assign the back seats to the students who get there first and fill in from back to front. When new students come in, they are automatically assigned to the front.
I love the look on the kids faces the second week of school when the late-comers arrive for the first time and learn that the only empty seats are right in front of me. It makes it easier to deal with transfer students when they are up front with me. I've had three new students since right before Thanksgiving.
Had a French teacher who would arrange the poorer performing students to sit up closer to him in the classroom while the better performing students sat farther away from him.
EdX
I think it would depend on why and whether the extra attention on them came at the expense of the better students. If it brought everyone up, then good. If it pushed the better students down, then bad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phetaroi
I can go you one just as bad or worse. I had a high school chemistry teacher who -- when handing back tests -- would start with the highest grades and read each name with the grade (e.g., Johnny Jones, 98%, Mary Wells, 97%, Bill Jacobs, 95%...etc."). Then when he got to 75%, which at my school was passing, he would pause for approximately a minute, and then read the next grade while staring at the student ("Bill Mathers 74%). Then when he got to the lowest grade, he would again pause for a full minute, stare at the last student, and read the lowest grade ("Millie Price, 48%). I remember him with such fondness, than even today -- a half century later -- I think of him as a worthless, old, fat fart.
I grew up in a era when every teacher did this. It let you know where you stood in the class and who the competition was. Too bad so much education today is about feeling good rather than being good.
Being closer to the teacher is supposed to help students focus... Of course there is no need to move the students because good teachers are mobile anyway.
Being closer to the teacher is supposed to help students focus... Of course there is no need to move the students because good teachers are mobile anyway.
Gross generalization.
There are dozens of things that could prevent teachers from being able to move all over the classroom without saying anything about their quality as a teacher. The classroom itself is the biggest one. My current classroom is the size of a postage stamp, four rows of two seater tables, with barely enough room for the kids to squeeze into the desks, plus emergency seating on the sides of the room. If I tried to move around to the back of the room to stand near every kid, someone would have to get up every time I tried to move between the tables. Not conducive to learning. I have taught classes in lecture halls, not possible to get up and move to each student there either. Neither says anything about the quality of the teacher. One of the teachers I used to teach with had a prosthetic leg. He moved around fine in open spaces, but navigating back backs, sports bags, etc, meant he mostly stayed in the front of the room, he was still a good teacher.
Ultimately there are many ways to be a good teacher, mobile is not necessarily one of them.
There are dozens of things that could prevent teachers from being able to move all over the classroom without saying anything about their quality as a teacher. The classroom itself is the biggest one. My current classroom is the size of a postage stamp, four rows of two seater tables, with barely enough room for the kids to squeeze into the desks, plus emergency seating on the sides of the room. If I tried to move around to the back of the room to stand near every kid, someone would have to get up every time I tried to move between the tables. Not conducive to learning. I have taught classes in lecture halls, not possible to get up and move to each student there either. Neither says anything about the quality of the teacher. One of the teachers I used to teach with had a prosthetic leg. He moved around fine in open spaces, but navigating back backs, sports bags, etc, meant he mostly stayed in the front of the room, he was still a good teacher.
Ultimately there are many ways to be a good teacher, mobile is not necessarily one of them.
Clearly you just suck at teaching.
(Kidding, obviously)
When commenting on a forum such as this I figure generalizations are alright... I'm not interested in taking the time to address every possible situation. Obviously if there is a reason one can't move around the room you won't be able to. That is common sense, I don't have to post rhat disclaimer.
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