At the beginning of the year, on the first day of school, I have a seating chart in reverse alphabetical order, ready and visible at the door to my classroom. I want to immediately make the students feel safe, and I want to establish order and structure.

Having a seating chart also makes attendance-taking a breeze (look for empty seats), and it allows me to memorize names relatively quickly. Substitute teachers appreciate the chart for the same reasons. Assigned seating makes administrative tasks easier.

As November approaches and students begin to feel comfortable with their groups of four, I change their seats. I ask for feadback from students about their choice of seating, given personal considerations such as glasses, handed-ness and preference for the front or the back of the room. Once I have all the feedback, I use the information to create heterogenous, mixed-gender groups of four. This allows me to accomodate differences in learning styles - some students feel suffocated in the front row and free to learn in the back. Students who provide input about where they want/need to sit learn more in my classroom.

Carefully constructed assigned seating charts are an indespensible tool in my teaching toolbox, one I would not teach without.