As the school year kicked off, I walked into my classes on the first day of school. The first thing I wondered was if we would get assigned seats, or be able to choose my seat, and sit with my friends. 

The ongoing debate on whether students should have assigned seats or the freedom of choosing their seats is very present in New Providence High School. Some teachers believe that high school students are not responsible enough to choose their own seats and will get distracted. Other teachers, though, believe that letting students decide where they sit helps them be more comfortable and makes them want to work more diligently.

NPHS teacher Ms. DiGeronimo, who cares deeply about the subject of seating in classrooms said: “I never ever, ever let students choose their seats ever. And I decided that because after a few years of teaching, I figured out that I had better relationships in the classes with assigned seats.”

After experimenting with many different seating arrangements, DiGeronimo found what worked best with her style of teaching in her classroom. 

“I change seats every month. I started doing that, like two years into teaching and I noticed that it made the class louder in a good, happy way,” she said.

NPHS teacher Mrs. Henriques said: “I usually assign seats for my lower level, like my freshman and sophomores and then when they’re a little bit older, I let them choose.”

Henriques’s theory is based on the idea that students who are older, are more likely to behave in class and respect the privilege of student-chosen seating. 

According to a poll responded to by 34 NPHS students, over 50% of them said that they get their work done more efficiently when able to choose their seats in class.

Many students feel that being able to choose their own seats in class opens up the opportunity for students to collaborate with their close peers more. Since when able to choose seats students typically sit with their friends, they will be more open to conversations with one another.

Freshman Ava DeSeta said: “Whenever I work with my friends I feel more comfortable asking questions and collaborating with them.”