Assigned seating is when students are assigned a specific place to sit down in class. This is seen at FHS in various classrooms, so it is important to consider the advantages and the disadvantages of this practice. 

For starters, one of the many advantages of having assigned seats is that it is easy to separate certain students so they do not get distracted by each other. Furthermore, students never have to argue about which seat is the best or which spot they want to sit in during class when the choice is already made for them. Assigned seats often tend to cause a distraction in class,  due to the arguing going on about which seat is better, or who got the better seat.

Assigned seating also helps students get to know others in their class better instead of always having them sit with the same group of people. This can also facilitate the start of new friendships.

When done right, assigned seating can provide a healthy and cooperative environment for other students, which can make learning easier. Without assigned seating, it would be hard to manage some students. Teachers would not be able to see them or help them with their assignment because they have mixed up their seating roles as it can get confusing for teachers.

Another benefit is that it will allow teachers to assist the kids who need help, as they can easily remember where that student is and can seat the kid in a strategic area either near the teacher or near the front of the class so they can help them out. 

The disadvantages that assigned seating creates are that students may not feel comfortable wanting to move around and talk with new people. Some students tend to struggle with speaking to other people or making friends, so if teachers keep changing the assigned seating, it could cause anxiety for the students. Kids may not like who they sit with in such arrangements, as many may not feel comfortable around their new group because they had formed a good bond with their old group.

Teachers could also potentially hurt someone’s learning because they assigned them to a specific location and they may also not be able to hear or see the teacher properly with their new table group. It is also very time-consuming for teachers to have to plan out a seating arrangement for everyone, so it may be better for the teacher to let students freely move around.

Assigned seating has been around for years. Overall, students should be able to see there are good and bad aspects of seating arrangement.