Eating in the Classroom

張貼日期：Apr 20, 2011 8:53:11 AM

Eating in the Classroom

 Tai Kuo

      How would you feel when you are disturbed in class? Eating in the classroom is always an argumentative issue for teachers and students. Last year, a professor scolded students in the school of medicine at National Taiwan University who were eating in class. Some people thought it was not a big deal, while others thought it was improper. I think I agree the latter more. There are three reasons why I am opposed to eating in the classroom.

      First, students and teachers would be disturbed by the people who are eating in the class. While you are absorbed in class, a person starts to eat his or her meal. The classroom is then full of the smell of the food and the sound made by the eater. Those students who have not a meal started to think what they are going to eat instead of focusing on what the teacher is teaching. Therefore, students’ efficacy of learning would decrease greatly.

      Second, eating in the class makes you an unmannered person. Since we were little, we have been taught that when a person is talking to us, we have to listen to him or her carefully. However, it seems that more and more students eat in class and they even take it for granted. Imagine if someone eats and does not listen carefully to you when you are talking, how would you feel? Could you accept it?

      Finally, eating in the class would make the classroom dirty. I am not sure if every student has the bad habit of leaving garbage in the classroom after class. However, I have seen many times the garbage was left behind by my classmates when I finished a course and was about to leave for another course. I’ll bet that those students who leave garbage in the class wouldn’t consider how hard it is for the cleaners to clean the mess.

      People who approve of eating in the class may indicate that students who are too hungry can’t concentrate in class. Especially those students who are at the age of puberty, they need good nutrition. I think the best solution is that students can finish their meals before the class starts or eat their meals during the ten-minute break. It would definitely not affect the efficiency of learning, nor their health.

      In conclusion, eating in the classroom is a controversial issue. However, there hasn’t been an appropriate solution to solve this problem. Actually, I think the most important thing is not arguing about eating in the classroom but learning how to show your respect to others.