(UWIRE)College students have a distorted view of what behavior is considered appropriate for a classroom setting, and these misconceptions lead to distractions that impose on the rights of others, some professors say.
“I am stunned at the number of students who think that their behavior has no affect on other students or the teacher,” said Barbara Mack, an Iowa state professor.
These behavioral distractions take many different forms which are seen from both the instructor’s point of view and peers’ (Share your reaction and experiences below). .
“Students wander in and wander out anytime during class,” Mack said. “I’ve seen students reading the [student newspaper], checking e-mails, working on their Facebook accounts and, most offensive, I’ve seen students looking at porn.”
Students are affected differently by the various distractions.
“I really think that sleeping in class is completely disrespectful to the professor, and if you are going to sleep in class, what was the point in coming in the first place?” said senior Ashley Zappa.
Brian Paul, junior, is not bothered by sleepy students, but shared another behavior that annoys him.
“In one of my big lectures, 50 percent of the people leave at random times during class, and it’s distracting when I’m trying to pay attention,” Paul said.
Zappa said other students’ lack of courtesy hinders her academic experience.
“When there are other things going on around me, I have a difficult time staying focused on class and what I am supposed to be learning,” she said.
A related distraction is students arriving late, panting as they crawl over others to find an open seat, Mack said.
Paul added other students wearing headphones that are cranked up to loud volumes to the list of classroom distractions.
Mack said the college age may be why some students don’t always behave properly.
“I have wondered whether this is the ‘I’m free and out from under supervision, therefore I can behave like an ox’ attitude, but I don’t know where it comes from,” Mack said
Poor behavior in class may stem from a lack of understanding etiquette, but Mack said she would like to think the normal rules of human behavior apply in academics.
Paul said practicing appropriate behavior in class is important in order to show respect to other students.
Simple courtesies such as “saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ are becoming a lost art,” Mack said, but using well-mannered language is a start for students to exercise classroom etiquette.
Proper behaviors include arriving to class on time or simply not coming at all, paying attention, realizing what is wanted from the class and listening carefully, Mack said. It is normal for minds to wander, but students should let them wander quietly to avoid imposing on others.
Mack said the instructor should be informed at the start of class if a student needs to leave early and the student should sit near the door.
Dress also plays an important role in the classroom.
Mack said she doesn’t expect students to dress for the office, but she does expect neat and clean attire.
“How we dress ourselves tells others how we feel about ourselves and shows our respect for other people,” Mack said.
In one instance, Mack said, she discovered a male student in one of her classes was wearing shorts without any underwear underneath.
“No one should have to see that,” Mack said.
Students unsure of how to dress can adopt Zappa’s simple policy.
“I have a strict policy for myself that I do not wear sweatpants to class, because I feel that this makes a student look sloppy and also makes me feel sloppy,” Zappa said.
What’s considered proper classroom etiquette varies from instructor to instructor, but Mack said she tries to establish rules early and is open about the behavior she expects from students.
Mack advises students to learn proper classroom etiquette by “paying attention to the people who are paying attention. See what the good students are doing, and that will serve you well.”
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