I've been putting my seating plans together for next year. Contrary to what you might think it's not as simple as putting the pupils in alphabetical order or going boy-girl-boy-girl etc... In fact I've gone for boy-boy-girl-girl because whilst alternating between sexes is best for behaviour, having boys together and girls together is better for attainment.
Even then there's lots to consider. You need to take into account any pupils on the SEN register, whether they need to be near the front or if they have ADHD they might be best off at the back so they don't drive you mad fiddling with stuff on their desk. You can't put your brightest pupils together because the others need someone to copy off. You don't want two pupils sat together if neither can read very well. You have to ask their previous teacher who to watch out for, any personality clashes or any other issues such as having a fear of sitting next to a window. I have one boy with severe vision impairment next year so I've been trying to figure out where to sit him in my room so he doesn't have any glare from the sun on him. It's not as easy a job as you might think though admittedly I do take it to obsessive levels, to the extent that one of my colleagues asked me if I was slightly autistic.
Making the plan for my year elevens was easier having taught them this year. There's nothing special about them for me to worry about. I mean that in the sense that they don't appear on any registers, they are of course each special in their own way but in the sense of Susie having a great smile and laugh, Bob always coming out with some dry comment, Alison always trying her best even if the work is ridiculously hard. Not in the sense of having one arm or not being able to spell their own name. This meant I was able to have a little fun. If the third row of my class ever writes out their first initials on their books they would spell out the word 'gasp'. I was tempted to make them spell out 'shag' but couldn't quite bring myself to do it.
I know, I should get a life.
2008-07-22 @ 19:45