| An instructor has specific needs in regard to what | | | | for elementary grades, a desk that is relatively large |
| types of furniture will best suit his or her teaching. Thus, | | | | and opens completely so that children can store their |
| the right classroom furniture is essential for the teacher | | | | books, pencils, papers, assignments etc. |
| in order to conduct his or her class in an orderly | | | | Desks for older students: |
| fashion. | | | | When the students are older they will have lockers in |
| The teacher's desk: | | | | the hallways for storing their class materials. Therefore |
| A teacher's desk is one of the most important if not | | | | a desk similar to those used in elementary classrooms |
| the most important piece of classroom furniture. If | | | | would not be appropriate. The desks that Middle |
| teaching elementary through high school (or K-12), the | | | | School and High School students usually require will |
| teacher is very unlikely to have his or her own office, | | | | have much smaller surfaces and will have no drawers |
| as many college professors do. Thus, the teacher | | | | or openings of any kind. The best ones come with a |
| must have a desk that will be able to contain and | | | | little groove across the top where they can set a |
| organize all of the students work: graded, un-graded, | | | | pencil or a pen so that it does not roll off the desk. The |
| charting individual student progress etc. The teacher | | | | chairs are plain and the desks themselves are not too |
| will have system for organization and if the desk is not | | | | costly. |
| big enough, the drawers are not spacious enough, or if | | | | Shelves: |
| the drawers are too hard to work with--there will be | | | | When you consider what classroom furniture you will |
| major problems. | | | | need, do not forget about shelves--shelves are |
| Filing cabinets | | | | important for storing class resources such as books, |
| If there are major problems of the nature I addressed | | | | learning tools, special rewards, stickers, equipment |
| above with your classroom furniture, one alternative to | | | | needed for science experiments etc. Elementary |
| purchasing a new desk for the teacher when the | | | | classrooms have more use for shelves than the older |
| current desk is inadequate would be to purchase a | | | | grades--simply because the older students usually |
| filing cabinet for the teacher to keep beside the desk, | | | | have everything they need. Often if there are shelves |
| this way he or she can be more organized and this | | | | there will be only a few--and they will be small. |
| may be a much less expensive option. | | | | Of course, science class is one of the exceptions to |
| Desks for elementary students: | | | | the rule. In this case the classroom furniture needed will |
| When considering classroom furniture, namely, desks | | | | be the setup for a science lab area. The tables and |
| for students, depending on the age group children | | | | work stations in that area will usually have shelves and |
| should have specific types of desks. Younger children | | | | drawers to store things like beakers, droppers, |
| in elementary school--or any students who remain in | | | | microscopes etc., thus any shelves required around the |
| the same classroom all day, will need desks where | | | | rest of the classroom will be few to none. |
| they can also store their class materials. This is typical | | | | |