The Seating Chart feature allows teachers to create a seating chart for each class section including student names, student pictures, and classroom furniture. Once set up, teachers can use the seating chart to take attendance and award positive behaviors. Multiple seating charts can be created to reflect different layouts.
1. In the menu, click Seating Chart.
2. Click Link an Existing Chart to link an existing chart layout to the section, rather than creating a new one. All charts with this layout (including the newly linked one) will displays the same furniture layout, including future changes.
a. Select one or more existing chart layouts to apply to the current class from the pull-down and click Link.
3. If you choose not to use an existing chart, enter the Chart Name in the provided text box.
4. Select your Starting Point; options are described below.
Grid: The chart will start with a generated grid of desks or chairs, facing the selected front of class, with the selected rows and columns.
Freeform: The chart will start completely blank.
Copy of Previous Layout: The chart will start with the furniture layout from the selected chart. Select the Existing Room Layout from the pull-down; options listed include all previously created charts.
5. Depending on the Starting Point selected, select the Front of Class direction by clicking one of the four arrow choices (Up, Right, Down, or Left).
6. Depending on the Starting Point selected, enter the number of Rows and Columns needed for students' chairs/desks. Desks or chairs can be added or deleted while editing the seating chart after the initial creation of the chart.
7. The seating chart will be created for the section selected from the Section pull-down located in the header but can also be linked to other sections if selected from the Link Additional Periods section.
8. Click Create.
1. From the new or existing chart, click the Layout tab, then click the Furniture tab to add or edit furniture and create the layout of the classroom.
2. The Grid lines display automatically. To hide the grid lines, click Visibility.
3. The Snapping tool is enabled by default ensuring new and moved furniture snap to the grid lines even when hidden by clicking Visibility. The snapping or lining of objects works in half grid units. Click Snapping to disable the tool and allow yourself to place items that are not lined up with the grid lines.
4. Click the Grid pull-down to add desks or tables and chairs by selecting Grid, Horseshoe, Square Table, or Round Table; then, click Generate.
Grid: Select Grid to insert 16 desks in a rectangular shape.
Horseshoe: Select Horseshoe to insert 10 desks in a horseshoe shape around the classroom.
Square Table / Round Table: Select Square Table or Round Table to insert a table and four chairs.
- Create a new Seating Chart.
- Choose a Starting Point of Grid or Freeform.
- Practice placing various furniture layouts.
- Practice using various options when placing furniture.
1. To add furniture, scroll to the applicable section and click the piece of furniture; options include:
Students: Add a Chair or a Desk in which students can be assigned a seat.
Teacher: Add the teacher's Desk to the classroom.
Notes: Add a Text Box to the seating chart where you can enter notes.
Tables: Add different shapes of tables to the classroom, such as Rectangle, Round, Trapezoid, and Kidney.
Decor: Add classroom decorum, such as Blackboard, Door, WIndow, AV Cart, Flag, Computer, and Lab Table.
2. Once the piece of furniture is clicked, move the mouse around the classroom and click where you'd like to place the furniture. In the example displayed, the flag has been selected and has yet to be placed.
Once the item is placed, the furniture will no longer be selected from the Furniture tab.
Depending on the item selected, you may have the option to change the color of the furniture, such as teacher's desk. Click the desired color.
You can add multiple of one item by right clicking to place the object in the classroom grid. Right clicking while placing the item will allow you to keep the item selected in order to be placed in multiple locations around the classroom.
3. To move a placed item, click the furniture and drag it to the desired location.
4. To move a group of furniture, click and highlight the area where all applicable furniture is located.
Once all items are selected, click and drag to move the items with the mouse.
5. Most furniture can be rotated by clicking the item then clicking the rotator. If you click the rotator, the piece of furniture will move a little each time you click the icon. You also have the option of clicking and holding the mouse while rotating the item to the desired position.
To rotate a generated seating arrangement described in step 4, click the rotator icon in the center to rotate the grouping 90 degrees.
6. To resize items, click the item and use the points around the item to click and drag the item to a large or smaller size.
To resize a generated seating arrangement described in step 4, click and drag using the four points around the items to make the grouping smaller or larger. Note: Resizing generated seating modifies the number of desks displayed.
7. To remove an item from the classroom/chart, click the item, then click Delete. You can also click the delete key or backspace key to remove the item.
8. To delete a group of furniture, click and highlight the area where all applicable furniture is located, then click Delete.
9. To duplicate a piece of furniture or a group of furniture, select one or multiple items, then click Clone.
10. Click Save once your layout is complete.
Using the Furniture Layout you created:
- Add pieces of furniture.
- Move pieces of furniture.
- Delete pieces of furniture.
- Clone furniture groups.
1. From the new or existing chart, click the Layout tab, then click the Students tab to assign seating to students.
2. Before seating students, you can flag applicable students by clicking Front of Class and/or Talkative to identify the students who need to sit at the front of the class or students who are talkative.
3. Click the Smart Shuffle pull-down to determine how students should be quickly seated by selecting Smart Shuffle, Last Name, First Name, or Random; then, click Quick Seat.
Smart Shuffle. Smart Shuffle takes into account the students who have been flagged as Front of Class and/or Talkative. The flags can be placed prior to the initial seating or at any time during the school year.
Last Name / First Name: Seats students by last name or first name in ascending order. This option does not take into account the student flags. If First Name is selected, Archie Lawson will be seated in the front row and Vivian Jackson will be seated in the last row.
Random: Seats students randomly. This option does not take into account the student flags.
4. To assign seats manually, click the student listed in the Students tab, then click the desired desk or chair.
5. All unseated students remain in the Students tab until seated. If all desks and chairs are taken and students still remain in the Students tab, you do not have enough furniture to seat all students. You can add desks/chairs from the Layout. tab. You also have the option to click the student and place him/her in an area without a desk/chair; when clicked/placed, the desk will be created automatically.
Once all students are seated, the Students tab displays: All students seated in the chart.
6. To unseat students from a desk or chair, click the student and click Unseat.
7. To edit student information, click the seated student. Once clicked, the student displays in the Students tab.
Click Lock to lock the student into the desk/chair, so they cannot be moved upon using Quick Seat. If editing seating manually, the student can still be moved.
To unlock the student from the chair, click the student again, and click Locked.
From here, you can mark the student as Front of Class or Talkative, as well as remove the flags.
8. To customize how students are displayed in the seating chart, select the information displayed from the Student buttons.
Student Name and Photo are displayed by default. Click Name to hide the students' names. Click Photo to hide students' photos.
9. Click Save to apply assigned seating.
Place students in seats using the following options:
- Smart Shuffle, Random, Last Name and First Name.
- Manually place students.
- Move students.
- Unseat students.
1. From the Seating Charts screen, click Charts.
2. The Charts pop-up displays all existing seating charts linked to the section selected from the section pull-down located in the header.
From the Charts pop-up, you can edit all existing charts' information including the Sort order, Title, and the Front of class direction.
3. To edit the order, click the Sort field and change the number as needed. The chart with the lowest number, i.e. 1, is used as the default chart when none are assigned. By default, all charts are given a Sort order of 1.
4. To edit the name of the seating chart, click the Title field and make the necessary changes.
5. To edit the direction of the classroom, click the Front pull-down and select the applicable arrow to indicate where you'd like the front of the class to be.
6. Click Assign for the applicable seating chart to Take Attendance and/or Award Positive Behaviors.
7. Click Layout for the applicable seating chart to edit the Furniture Layout and/or Assign Students' Seating.
8. Click Save to apply changes made to the seating charts. Changes not yet saved, display in yellow.
9. Click the X to close the Charts pop-up window.
1. In the menu, click Seating Chart.
2. From the desired seating chart, click the Assign tab, then click the Attendance tab.
Until attendance is assigned and saved, the message "You need to take attendance today" displays.
By default, all students are set to P Present (Green).
3. To assign a code, click the code listed in the Attendance tab, then click the applicable students.
Once assigned an attendance code, the student will turn the applicable color. In the example displayed, the student has been marked as Unexcused Tardy, so the student is yellow.
All attendance codes include:
Present codes (Green): P Present and PT Excused Tardy
Tardy codes (Yellow): T Unexcused Tardy
Absent code (Red): U Unexcused Absence
4. Click Save to apply attendance codes.
Once attendance has been taken, the message "You have taken attendance today for this period" displays.
To customize the information displayed for students, click the Student buttons. The Name, Photo, and attendance Code default to displayed.
5. Click Code to hide the students' attendance codes from displaying in the seating chart. The Code will be hidden if clicked, but the color of the code remains. Click Code again to display the students' attendance codes.
- Take attendance in the seating chart.
- Assign several different attendance codes.
- Switch to List view.
- Edit attendance in List view.
Positive Behaviors can be awarded from the Seating Charts screen if first setup via Discipline > Positive Behaviors by administration. Teachers can then create badges via Positive Behaviors > Configure Positive Behaviors, as long as they are associated with an administrator-created badge type.
1. In the menu, click Seating Chart.
2. From the Seating Charts screen, click the Assign tab, then click the Badges (Positive Behaviors) tab. The default name for positive behaviors is Badges, but the name is customizable by the district; therefore, the name of the tab could differ.
3. To award a positive behavior, click the behavior, then click the applicable students in the seating chart.
4. The behavior icon displays on the student until saved.
Click Save to apply the positive behaviors. Once saved, the number of behaviors awarded displays next to the star icon.
5. Select the Comments Before Save check box to ensure comments are made in regards to the behaviors awarded to students upon clicking the Save button.
Enter a general comment in the provided text box and click Confirm to post to the Student and Parent Portal along with the awarded positive behaviors. You also have the option to click Confirm without posting comments or clicking Cancel to return to the Seating Charts screen to add personalized comments.
6. To enter a personalized comment for an awarded positive behavior, click the award icon once assigned to the student to open the award in the Awards (Positive Behaviors) tab.
Enter the Comment in the provided text box.
7. Click the behavior icon to Edit the awarded number of behaviors. Click and enter the new Value in the provided text box.
8. To award positive behaviors for all students, click the positive behavior then click All.
To apply the awards, click Save.
9. Before clicking Save, awards can be removed by clicking the icon, then clicking Remove.
To customize the information displayed for students, click the Student buttons. The Name, Photo, and behaviors Earned default to displayed.
11. Click Earned to hide the students' number of earned positive behaviors from displaying in the seating chart. Click Earned again to display the students' number of awarded behaviors.
- Assign a badge to a few individual students.
- Enter a comment for the badges assigned.
- Assign a badge to the whole class using the + All button.
- Enter a comment.