When arranging the classroom, never put the teacher's desk in the back. It should always be up front where the teacher can keep an eye on students at all times. If teaching a primary grade, you should make sure students have opportunities to group in a circle or rows on the floor. Getting them up and out of their desks periodically allows them to burn off a little energy. For the older elementary grades, rows work, but don't rule out doing groups of two or clustering four desks together. Just be sure whatever desk arrangement you choose, there are paths and walkways in case of emergencies.
When creating a welcoming classroom environment, you need to consider decor. Bulletin boards should be colorful, engaging and appeal to students. Keep one board to showcase students' work, or give them a chance to voice ideas about what should be posted. Walls should never be left a stark white, but instead used as a canvas for fun quotes, multi-cultural posters, or any of a variety of educational materials. Plants, pillows for reading corners or headphones with classical music for math centers all help give the classroom a warm and inviting tone.
Learning centers are an excellent way to organize a classroom into subject-specific areas. They can be set up to be worked at individually or in small groups. The center has the materials and tools necessary to allow students to work on an assignment or project, allowing for less direct instruction from the teacher and more hands-on time for the students.
Whether teaching in a special needs classroom or handling a child with behavioral problems in mainstream classrooms, there are techniques to help. Be sure students have personal space to prevent boundary issues. Put away potentially dangerous classroom items such as scissors. Try creating activity-specific areas in the classroom. The rug is for group reading time, the tables are for hands-on work time, the beanbag chair is for cool-down time. This eases confusion and aids students in learning appropriate ways to behave.