Everyone has had a class with that one person who talks incessantly, spends the entire class texting or causes disturbances that slow the class down. These actions can hinder students’ ability to learn and aggravate the professor and the students.

Carl Thameling, program coordinator for communications and associate professor of communications, gave his perspective on what classroom behaviors can enhance the learning experience and what actions can interfere with it.

“Students make themselves a nuisance to others if they are talking when someone else is talking, being disrespectful, texting, interrupting or just not listening,” Thameling said.

Thameling said when he encounters a student being disruptive in his class he would first look at him or her, and if the behavior continues, he would verbally confront them after class.

Thameling said that in this kind of situation, it is the professor’s place to speak up first. If a student feels that another student is causing a problem in the classroom, the student should complain to the professor rather than handle it personally.

The rules and codes of conduct for the classroom are set by the professor. Because each class is different,  the ground rules may vary based on the type of class and the students in it.

However, some rules of classroom etiquette are applicable in most classes.

When engaging in classroom discussions, Thameling said that students should not only listen attentively and be engaged in the conversation, but that it is important to keep comments relevant to the discussion and to verbally acknowledge a change of subject before moving to a new topic.

“The classroom has to be run so that each student is free to get an education,” Thameling said, “We all want to be competent communicators, which is all about knowing the rules for what is appropriate.”

Eddie Reid, a junior nursing major, said he has experienced disruptive students in his classes.  Reid said that he finds personal conversations and excessive phone use most distracting.

“The way you behave in a class and your professionalism matters in the classroom and in the work place. Nobody wants a nurse talking on the phone at their bedside,” Reid said.

Dana King, a sophomore occupational therapy major, says professors should not tolerate any disruption in class.

“Who wants to sit by a chatter box? I wish students would just stay quiet in class while the teacher is teaching. Professors should start kicking kids out because that is so rude and inconsiderate,” said King. “Some people actually go to class to learn and not socialize.”

Texting in class and conducting side conversations are not the only disruptancies.

Coming to class late can not only distract the entire class, but could also lose the focus of the professor.

It’s also a pain when one student constantly voices his thoughts on everything the professor says. No one came to class to hear your every thought on the class.

True, focusing while sitting in the same desk for 50 or 90 minutes is hard, but it’s not impossible. Don’t make it harder on yourself and others.

The texts and side conversations can wait. Think of others the next time you distract an entire classroom.

College classes are filled with a diverse group of people. Students should keep in mind that they are all here to learn and behave accordingly. We are all adults here; let’s act like it.