Classroom Management

Last week there was a boy who walked in class and sat down in his chair.  However he wasn't really sitting down very properly and just by his demeanor I could tell that I might need to keep an eye out for him.  When Ms. McConnel told me after her brief talk to keep an eye on him also I could tell my "hunch" wasn't wrong at least.  However before I could even give him a hand she was already addressing him and I tackled a majority of the class that day while she helped him along until he was really able to get started.  After class I had to ask about him because he didn't actually seem like a bad kid I just knew he needed that extra attention.  It turns out he was a special needs child and spends about 2/3rds of his day in the special ed class.
I thought the situation was handled really well and even though I wondered how she was able to deal with the same situation without anyone else there I figured she must have employed a similar strategy. The only way I though it could be handled better was if there was a para with him, however due to multiple factors I realize this isn't plausible, and think it was handled the best way it could have been.

A general observation at Derby Ridge I noticed was that elementary students need lots of guidance and if you can have it written somewhere also the better. I think for my students I would have all my expectations explained clearly from the beginning and have them posted somewhere also. I also believe in warnings because what I've noticed more often then not, if students are made aware of that they are "in check" or not acting appropriately they will generally change their behavior. However if students keep doing the unacceptable behavior then the consequences must come, otherwise the warnings will then loose effectiveness.
Organization is also key. I've noticed the less a student has to think about something like "where am I going to sit" that's one less thing for them to think about and more focused is placed on their work or yourself.

Disclaimer: This is something that would work best in the elementary level. I believe the older students get you might not need to assign seats as much. The classroom should still be organized but older students will be able to get their materials on their own instead of having them passed out. However classroom expectations should always be clearly laid out regardless of age, as well as the level of respect to their artwork, peers, self, and area.
I feel I will learn a few different strategies for older students when I am exposed to them though I feel that I do have a broad guide on how I would manage a classroom regardless of age.