Seating charts for middle school classrooms are essential! They are the foundation of classroom management. Be prepared for day 1 of school with a completed seating chart. Let’s talk about why.
Why Should You Have a Seating Chart
In a perfect world, all students would be successful no matter where they were sitting in your classroom. We don’t live in a perfect world or teach in perfect classrooms, so we have to be proactive in creating seating charts to set students up for success.
A seating chart on day 1 shows students that you are prepared, and that you aren’t willing to waste a minute of time in your classroom.
It is much easier to give freedom gradually (like giving them a reward of seat choice) than to try to tighten things up after your class has gotten a little wild (because they can sit wherever they want).
It also helps students who are new or uncomfortable feel more confident about walking into class and not worry about where to sit. Through classroom observations and my own experience as a student, it can be stressful to choose a seat!
Creating Seating Charts for the First Day of School
How can you create an informed seating chart for middle school on the first day of school without knowing your students? Here are a couple of options:
- Alphabetical order – This way you can learn names a little faster as you take roll for the first week or so, and it requires little effort on your part. This was what I did every year, and while boring, it was temporary.
- A deck of cards – Tape a card to the various desks and then pass out matching cards at the door.
- Popsicle sticks – Number your desks and pass out corresponding numbered popsicle sticks at the door. You can then use these popsicle sticks to cold call students.
Some teachers allow students to sit wherever they want for a couple of days to see who they can or can’t be with. Again, I feel like this is kind of testing students in a way that seems counterproductive.
Creating the Seating Chart with Middle School Students in Mind
Here are the thoughts that I think about when I create a new seating chart.
- Students with IEPs and 504s that receive preferential seating are the students that I place on my seating chart first. I have less flexibility with where their seats can go, so it is easiest to write them down first.
- I used to place students who struggled with behavior in the front of the classroom without much thought. What I realized is that I am not usually standing in the front of my classroom. I am usually moving through the aisles. Proximity wasn’t working because they were not that close to me. For behavior needs that are attention seeking, consider what/where students are facing and how much of an audience they might have. This also works with talkative students.
- For academic needs that are not related to an IEP or a 504, I like to place those students where I can see the entire classroom when I go to check on them. This is usually in the outside aisle spaces or near the front.
- My students sit in tables of four. I put higher need students on the outside aisles (where it is easier for me to get to them).
Easiest Way to Create a Seating Chart
Too many times I have been assigning new seats when I realize at the end that I forgot a student or I have the same student in two different places. Not anymore! The best time to create a new seating chart is when students are taking a test. You have to monitor anyway, and this allows you to see your students and classroom in context.
After I finish creating the seating chart, I read the seating chart aloud and ask for students to raise their hand if I said their name twice or not at all. Then, I can go back and make changes before I actually have students move seats, and I am not doing it on the fly. (Always use a pencil!)
I have tried other methods like crossing names off a list, but this saves me my planning period time. One other thing that I have found helpful is to have a very mature student check the seating chart for any oversights. I confess that I don’t know that Student A and Student B just broke up, so I probably should move them away from each other to prevent any heartache or drama from entering the classroom.
I have had some serious seating chart failures over the course of time that I taught, so remember that seating charts are not permanent. At any time you can move one student or multiple students. Do you have any tips or tricks for creating seating charts for middle school?
Great post!
My mentor taught me to use the yellow 1×1.5 sticky notes on a hand drawn diagram of the seating. On days with subs, lay it on the copier and jot notes, as needed. 🙂
Yes, I did that, too! I ended up moving away from it because it was time consuming to set-up, but it worked great!
I used to do the sticky note thing, too, but found that they lost their stickiness and I’d lose students ????. I use Google slides bc hen I can color code my 504s and IEPs and then use a code for academic level. Plus when kiddos change periods all you have to do is cut and paste them into a different slide!