I believe in the SIOP model for presenting new material because it helps everyone, English speakers as well as ESL students. Instructional scaffolding enables students to develop deeper thought.
Behavior is best managed by encouraging and reenforcing the good behavior while redirecting the bad. Students need to know they are important as individuals but they must obey the rules of a community. I've found student engagement is key to preventing bad behavior.
Here is a video of some of my fourth grade students performing a song they wrote about soil erosion, which they then taught to their peers to help prepare for a test.