1. Tables instead of desks
Of course, there are benefits of using tables in the classroom. They encourage discussion with peers and can save space. However, with tables, everyone is packed together like sardines, squished with no personal space. Plus, half of the kids are facing sideways or backwards, giving them no hope of being able to pay attention
2. That one kid who always sharpens his pencil while the teacher is talking
He might not need to hear what is being said, but I do. When half of a teacher’s sentence is masked by the chugging sound of the pencil sharpener, the rest of the class has a problem. The guy obnoxiously sharpening his pencil should just sharpen it before class, or better yet, invest in a mechanical pencil and some refill lead.
3. Homework given at very end of class
If a teacher gives a homework assignment the last second before the bell rings, the class isn’t going to remember it. For the last few minutes of class, the majority of students are packing up, not paying attention to anything the teacher says. If a person, like me, actually is paying attention, the hoard of people stampeding to the door is very distracting. There is no chance of pulling out a planner, writing the homework down and still being able to get to the next class on time if homework is handed out at the last moment.
4. Roll call
If a teacher doesn’t know my name by the second month of school, I’m offended. Granted, I’m the kind of kid who sits in the mid-back of the room, never saying anything. People don’t usually notice me until the required Socratic Seminar. But still, it’s part of a teacher’s job to learn approximately 150 names. I’m terrible with names myself, but there are tricks teachers can use. If nameplates on desks are necessary, then I’m all for them.
5. Textbooks
It’s my favorite thing to have to carry a thousand-page textbook in my backpack that’s so stuffed I can hear the seams popping as I walk down the hallway as hunched over as Quasimodo. Not. If we actually use a textbook everyday in class, then fine, it’s a necessary evil. However, teachers rarely require the use of a textbook every single class. It’s not difficult to let students know when their textbook will be needed and when it isn’t.
