Can professors really kick us out of class? I mean, we pay them to teach us, and we pay a lot of money to be there. So when a professor threatens to kick you out of class for being on your phone or using your computer for the wrong reasons, can they really kick you out?

I think there is a difference between being disrespectful to a professor or talking in the middle of class and being a distraction and using your phone or computer and being disinterested. Of course, speaking out of turn and speaking obscenely to a professor can be disruptive and grounds for dismissal from a class. However, this semester teachers have made a huge deal about the use of cell phones and computers in class and how they are “not allowed.”

We are adults here at the University of New Haven; that’s what college is, the transition from teen to adult. It’s our choice to pay attention or not pay attention in class, just like it’s our choice to study or not study for a test. A professor can’t make me study for a test outside the classroom, so how can they expect to make a student pay attention in the classroom? We, as students, will learn from our mistakes; we know ourselves and how we learn, how we study and how we will do well in school.

Professors need to understand that the world does not stop revolving for their one class; life goes on outside the classroom and I may need to respond to an important text immediately or send an email that was needed ASAP. Calling out a student in class for using their phone or computer is downright disrespectful, just as disrespectful as calling a student dumb or making fun of their question. Professors should not make students uncomfortable in their classroom or presence.

As a professor, you should want your students to enjoy your class and learn from it, not be afraid to ask questions and get involved. Being rude and intimidating will sometimes prevent students from participating. When students are not comfortable in class, they are less likely to get involved, ask questions and, ultimately, learn.

If students are using their phone in class just to scroll through their social media feeds, even if they are only hurting themselves, it is their choice whether or not they want to pay attention. Just because they are not putting the effort in during class doesn’t mean they don’t put in just as much effort, if not more, outside of class, by learning the information and studying for tests.

Maybe students using a phone or a computer is a sign of disinterest and boredom and a sign that the professor needs to make their class more interesting. Changing their teaching tactics, like doing something other than reading off the same PowerPoints every semester, wouldn’t hurt.

Being a professor is not just about relaying information and testing us on it. It’s about helping students and making them want to learn and get an education. As students, we should respect the effort that is put in to teach us, but also be given the free will to choose to use electronics or not.