@ellythomas : It is very difficult to deal with adults who are distracting other adults. I know I've often wished that the students who are bothered by distractions would address it with the distractors. Being addressed by peers is much more embarrassing and more likely to have students eliminate their own distractions. It is an on-going battle. If you can get a large majority of the class on 'your side' as they say and focused, then the distractors usually only end up hurting themselves. I struggle between having them sit together in order to not disrupt other students who are there to learn and separating them. While that is very junior high school, I guess it sometimes works. It's difficult because you are dealing with adults. I have also found that adults who are distractive and talkative and disruptive do not see this behavior as a problem but often as a just that you and they have a difference of option, etc. That makes life even more interesting in many ways.
