Classroom
Etiquette
Classroom etiquette
is obvious to most people, but once in a while there are some students who
may need a little refresher. Here it is!
- Timeliness
- Be
on time for classes. Tardy students walking into a lecture hall or classroom
is rude and distracting for both the instructor and other students.
- If
you arrive late, take the first available seat rather than cutting across
the front of the classroom to find a good seat. Be respectful to the instructor
and his or her space.
- Talking
- When
the instructor is ready to begin, students should wrap up conversations
and quiet down.
- If
you need to ask your neighbor a question, be brief and quiet. Do not carry
on a full-blown conversation, as that is rude and distracting for nearby
students and the instructor.
- Be
courteous to your classmates
- Be
patient when someone asks a question or makes a statement on a topic you
are familiar with.
- Profanities
are extremely inappropriate in a classroom
- Do
not interrupt others.
- Do
not show off your knowledge by interrupting the instructor’s answer to
a student’s question
- Cellular
phones, pagers, electronic devices
- Turn
cell phones and pagers off or switch to vibrate mode during class.
- Do
not answer the phone during class.
- Do
not play games on handheld electronic devices during class.
- Reading
materials not related to class
- Make
an effort to be discrete if you are reading materials not related to class,
such as The Tech. It is very rude to “flaunt one’s boredom” by doing so.
- Sleeping
- Try
not to fall asleep in class. If you think you might fall asleep, do not
sit directly in front of the instructor as that conveys the message of
boredom. Falling asleep in class happens, so try to be as discrete as
possible. Have your classmate next to you wake you up if you start to
snore.
- Do
not walk out and leave halfway through the class.
- This
is disturbing to the instructor and students and gives a feeling that
you do not respect the instructor and fellow classmates.
- End
of class
- Do
not hurry to gather your belongings toward the end of the class if the
instructor hasn’t finished. Other students are trying to pay attention
to the last bit of the lecture. Instructors usually know how much time
they have for class. If an instructor is consistently ending the class
later than scheduled and is causing inconvenience to students who must
travel to classes further away, approach the instructor and let him/her
know.
- Leaving
early from class
- Inform
the instructor in advance if you will be leaving from class early, so
that he/she will not be distracted when you leave.
- Sit
close to the door to minimize disturbance when you leave.