I would like some personal space!

It has been suggested that I write a book of all the funny stories that happen in my class. Although a great idea, I love sharing the stories right away, and decided a blog may be best. I am a fourth grade teacher at a small Catholic school. I love my school, despite our small classrooms!

Last Friday, I moved Anthony to the front of the room by himself. The move was made in order for him to concentrate better in class. Yesterday, Cornelius, asks, "Ms. J, why is Anthony sitting at the front of the room." Anthony hasn't had a problem with his seating arrangement, he has also expressed that he likes where he is sitting, but in order to not single him out. I said that he just needed some space, which allows him to focus better in class and praised him on his improvements.

Cornelius is a child who can make you laugh everyday you see him. He loves to talk and has no concept of personal space. There are times that I draw out an invisible line with my hand, so he knows when he is getting too close. After discussing Anthony's new seating arrangements, Cornelius announces that he would like his own section too. He feels he also can do better with focusing if he was sitting on his own in the classroom. This struck a movement in my class because today a number of children came to saying that they want their own section in the classroom because they want their own personal space! Who knew fourth graders needed personal space? Let alone Cornelius, who I have spent a great amount of time working on personal space.

Today while the children were out in music class, I decided that I would rearrange the classroom. My classroom is extremely small, so I decided to make a U-shape, more of a double-u shape with their desks. The children come in, typically they are excited anytime the desks change, but as they walked in I got some mixed reviews. Like Odilla said, "I wanted personal space, I still have people touching me." What Odilla fails to realize is that our classroom currently does not have the room where I could separate all desks and have them sitting on their very own.

To make matters worse, because of how much space this new seating arrangement took up, I did not move Anthony. He said he liked where he was sitting and I didn't have room to move his desk. His world came to a crashing end, his desk was not moved. I immediately moved his desk, it was not my intention to hurt his feelings. I currently now have two u's and a single desk now front and center of the middle u. Anthony is happy with his new seating arrangement!