Things like windows overlooking the playground, nearby busy lobbies and hallways, water fountains or even someone using the pencil sharpener can easily grab the attention of a borderline disengaged student. Identifying and mitigating possible distractions will help streamline your lessons and boost classroom productivity.
For more mobility and flexibility, consider swapping your wall-mounted chalkboard for a rolling whiteboard or TV cart or stand with wheels that can be easily moved around the classroom. Make sure your students can clearly see it without too much strain or difficulty. Also, be mindful of obstructions like support beams, poles, walls and other fixtures that can’t be moved.įor many teachers, the chalkboard or whiteboard is a major focus in their teaching. Some configurations may not be feasible with certain classrooms.
The Cambridge Companion to the String Quartet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.Factors That Influence Classroom Configurations Classroom Size and Shapeīefore you start moving your desks all around, make sure your preferred seating arrangement can work within the space and school furniture you have. The requests are usually made so that different aspects of the piece are better heard and visible to the audience.Īn example would be contemporary composer Brian Ferneyhough who prefers this his quartets be played with this arrangement:Īnd contemporary composer Michael Finnissy who prefers that the first violin be seated separately from the rest of the musicians. While the seating arrangement for a string quartet is usually kept throughout the performance, in more recent years, it has become more fluid and some composers have begun to request specific seating arrangements for their pieces. This is probably because the first violinist is usually the one to signal when to start and end a piece and placing them on the end makes them easier to see. Interestingly, in all of the different arrangements, the first violin remains in the same place. However, an alternate arrangement, where the cello and viola are switched, is becoming increasing more used.
This arrangement is also the most like the seating arrangement in an orchestra. In contemporary times, this is the most common seating arrangement for string quartets. Through the 19th century, the musicians were organized in the order of first violin, cello, viola, and second violin.Īfter the 19th century, however, the organization changed and the second violin and cello switched places. However, the order in which they sit has changed over time.
Being able to see each other helps the musicians hear each other so they can better keep time and know where everyone is. When performing in string quartets, musicians usually sit in a semi-circle so that all of the musicians can see each other.