The question was asked if the position of my groups within my room might make a difference. So, I moved them around. I didn’t change the groups, just moved the locations. Here’s what I have learned in the first week.
Proximity to the teacher, not the front of the room, determines the participation level of the students. When I teach from the front of the room, the students in the front tend to answer more questions, but when I teach from the back or center of the room (a luxury afforded me by the magic of powerpoint and a remote control) the students in the group I am closest to answer more questions and get more involved in the discussion.
Boys are generally, but not exclusively, more difficult to manage. The talking level of the boys has increased significantly since moving them to the back of the room. I still spend much of my time in the front of the class and the talking in the back is greater than when the girls were back there. It quiets down when I stand back there, but I can’t be there all the time. The girls talked quite a bit when they were back there, but it was not as much as the boys.
I told the students today that I needed 36 front row seats and I would just set them in a semi-circle, but I don’t think that will happen. Realistically, I think I should put the boys in the front, where I am most of the time, but teach from the center of the room where I can influence the most students at once. I can continue to use the powerpoint and remote so that I can be close to the students, but still use the board frequently as well.
