The five areas I would focus on to create a learning environment that is conducive to learning are classroom arrangement, the creation of an effective psychological climate, the establishment and maintenance of productive teacher-student relationships, having clear limits established and taking developmental differences into account. To me these are the areas that would get the most attention.
Arranging the classroom so that students are primarily focused on what is being taught at the front of the room will have the optimal effect on learning. Also I feel that the classroom needs to not just be a room with four blank walls. In high school the classes that I felt I focused most in were the ones that had relevant material hanging up. I always enjoyed seeing copies of the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence in my social studies classes. However any class I had where nothing was hung up was incredibly boring from the onset and it was easy to lose interest in what the teacher was saying.
Creating an effective psychological climate is important because I feel students would learn better in an environment that is welcoming and nonthreatening. Creating activities that involve the students as opposed to lecturing all class is ideal. It is important to maintain order and control of the class, but doing so in a tyrannical manner only creates anxiety. This very much ties into having clear limits. In the first few classes establish with the students what routine you want the class to have and explain that a consistent flow class to class will benefit both the students and the teacher in instruction and comprehension. The chapter does an excellent job emphasizing that it is beneficial to an environment conducive to learning if the students have some control in this process.
Maintaining productive teacher-student relationships and taking developmental differences into account, in my opinion, also tie in well together. It is important to be involved in the success of your students and show an interest in their lives (while not muddling the line of friend and authority figure). Once good relationships are formed it becomes easier to get an understanding for one another, thus making it easier to learn when someone needs help or is struggling because of anxiety over school or their social life.
I agree with what you said about classroom arrangement, especially trying to make the classroom interesting for students. I don't remember any of my high school teachers ever having anything in their classes aside from desks, and I found it extremely dull. However, I think that seating arrangements should depend on the age level being taught, as well as the teaching methods being used. Not to disagree with your statement, just to expand on it. Teachers should adjust their classroom arrangement in according to their objectives, such as seating in rows as you described for a lecture class or clusters of small groups for a class that relies heavily on cooperative learning.
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