Chatty 2nd Graders By Peg

My cooperating teacher also has a very flexible seating arrangement and if they are too talkative with their neighbor, they are moved. The desks are moved from clusters of small groups called tables (4-5 desks facing in toward each other) to rows with two desks side-by-side and then a space before the next two desks side-by-side. This arrangement works well when you want to minimize the distractions of a group. They are very familiar with doing this and can rearrange their desks in a matter of minutes. You might try practicing that with them.

Lastly, they all have a folder with their name on it labeled "extra work folder" and it includes any papers that they need to correct or that they haven't finished yet. When they finish a project, they know that they should take out something from their extra work folders. Sometimes the teacher instructs them to take out 2 things from their extra work folder at the beginning of a project and put it in the corner of their desk. Then they know they are to begin working on those papers right away if they finish everything else.