Classroom arrangement.

The 4th, 5th and 6th grade teachers allow the students freedom to arrange their desks as they choose. Some are pushed together, some apart, even in the same room. In one class there were six desks pushed together with students arranged around the perimeter, five girls and one boy. The remainder of the students were in individual desks. Gender seems to have only a little bearing on arrangement.
It is not unusual for students to exchange seats during class. While I write something on the board some students will trade seats; boy with girl, girl with girl, boy with boy. I do not perceive much gender tension and there is very little drama. Only once in three years of teaching have I seen tears shed.