Tables vs. Desks...Where do you stand? ;)

I hate to even say this, but.....summer is half way over ::gasp:: and I'm starting to think about my classroom set-up.  Each summer, I agonize over where I should put each piece of furniture and where the perfect spot would be for each of my centers.  I love setting up my room and tend to spend a full day or two just moving things around.

I'm a "change it up" kind of girl.  I've completed 8 years of teaching and I've had 8 different classroom set-ups.  I love to mix things up and even tend to do this during the year.  I change student desk arrangements every month to give kids a chance to sit by others in hopes to spark some new friendships.

As I start thinking about how I want my 1st grade classroom to look this upcoming year, I've come to a stand-still....desks or tables?  I've been doing a lot of research and checking out a lot of blogs and it seems to be that many teachers are making the switch to tables. 

I would love to make the switch, but I'm stuck with the fact that I need to find 4-5 tables lying around somewhere that I can use.  This isn't always an easy find.  Does your district have furniture easily accessible to you?  Are they willing to make purchases if you would like to change the way your room is set-up?

I've decided to make my typical "pros/cons" list.  This is something my mom taught me to do when I was younger and I STILL do it when I'm trying to make up my mind.  Plus, I love a good list...who am I kidding??

Pros to having tables:
-they don't move around as much
-cleaning is easier (no more mystery snack shoved all the way in the back)
-student placement is easier and quicker
-collaboration of work/projects is easier
-there isn't a sense of "ownership" and students can easily work where they please (*I allow my cuties to make "good choices" throughout the day of where they can do their best work so this is important to me)

Cons to having tables:
-no personal space for personal belongings
-having to find places for textbooks, workbooks, journals, etc.

I'll be honest, those are the 2 biggest worries I have since my classroom is not the largest in size.  I feel that this isn't a huge issue, but an issue nonetheless.  Now looking at my list, I clearly would like to have tables in my classroom.  Now where can I find them??

What do you do in your classroom?  Do you prefer one over the other?  Does your district/school require you to have desks?  I'm also interested to hear from upper elementary teachers.  Do you think that certain grades work better with either tables or desks?  Comment below!  I'll be sure to post once I've made my final decision (tables all the way!)...fingers crossed I can find some nice ones lying around somewhere! :)

~Mrs. Presutti