Students should face the area of the classroom where the lesson is being taught, which is typically the front, where the boards are. This layout helps keep students focused and makes it difficult for them to speak to each other during a lesson. An alternative to all the desks facing one direction is forming a circle with the desks. This type of formation works best in a drama or debate class where students are encouraged to face each other.
While you may sometimes find the teacher's desk behind the students, it is more typically found in the front, facing the students. This allows the teacher to monitor students during a test or individual study time to help students avoid distracting situations. This layout also helps the teacher interact with students who have questions.
The lesson boards are found in the front and sometimes sides or rear of the classroom. Lesson boards are used to help explain and expand on the ideas being taught. The lesson boards should face the students so they do not have to constantly adjust positions to see the lesson. Boards in the back or side of the room are used less often but can be practical if there is too much information to put on one board.
Most classrooms have either tile or sturdy industrial-grade carpet. Tile can be easily cleaned of spills from the students or from classroom experiments. Schools using carpet have the advantage of longevity -- while tile can crack or scuff after extended wear, carpet is more resilient to the abuse of chairs, desks and many feet.