The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mandated classrooms to be modified to have desks facing the same direction or have students sit on just one side of tables, spaced apart to limit the spread of Covid-19. So now, teachers are rethinking classroom design to increase productivity. 

The CDC requires desks to be only three feet apart, and teachers are taking advantage of it, putting desks back into groups. Some may be worried the change will affect COVID cases for the worse again, but this seems like another step into ‘normal’ life for both students and teachers.

WJPS teacher Ms. Marks said, “In any classroom where students are expected to share ideas and collaborate and discuss texts that they read and help each other grow, it’s important to have some space to collaborate. When we were mandated to work online, we were using comment functions on slides and peardeck. Still, now being physically closer, it’s important for desks to be closer for students to have those crucial conversations for analysis to grow.”

WJPS senior Alvin Zeng said, “The change is both beneficial for both students and teachers, and as long as we still keep some distance between each other, I don’t see any problem with the desks being in groups.”