The Seat Debate

Mari	Ron

Mari: Hi, I'm Mari, I'm here with Ron. Today, we're going to debate about if it's better to sit in the front of the class or in the back of the class, so I'm going to start. I always sat front-row-and-center in all of my classes all throughout my education, and I think that it's a lot better to sit in the front of the class because teachers and professors know your name. I feel like the teacher is always looking at me so I stay focused, so I think that's why I sat in the front of the class or I think it's important to sit in the front of the class.

Ron: Well, Mari, I believe that it's not necessarily better to sit in the front of the class because all students aredifferent. Some students will be overwhelmed by the pressure of having the teacher stand right in front of them, talking to them, and they'll forget about taking notes or forget about concentrating and only worry about having the pressure of the teacher standing right in front of them, so in that case, it's good for students to sit in the back of the class so that they can relax and make sure that their mind is free so they can learn what the teacher is saying.

Mari: But are you really learning in the back of the class? Are you focused in the back of the class?

Ron: Yes, you are focused because you're relaxed and you can make sure that the pressure of not having the teacher in front of you doesn't overwhelm so that you can go at your own pace.

Mari: But I don't feel pressure from my professor. I think it's more pressure that I put on myself. But I think that the kids or the students that sit in the back of the class are never really paying attention. They're always just kind of talking amongst themselves.

Ron: And usually, I think they're talking about the subject of the class, so that is even... that's another strong point about sitting in the back of the class. You don't have to interrupt the class and you can just ask your friend quietly on the side if you're unclear about something.

Mari: I think it's better to sit n the front of the class because I think you're able to develop a relationship with a teacher. If I look confused maybe they'll re-explain something or it's a lot easier for me ask questions. I think that maybe teachers think that if sit in the back of the class, they don't really like you.... like the teacher.

Ron: That may be true sometimes, but in my experience it was a lot more comfortable for me to sit in the back of the class with my friends and we could feed off each other, and we could ask each other questions to make sure that we understand the subject, so I think sometimes in class it's more important that you be comfortable than it is to be uncomfortable, but try to impress the teacher.

Mari: I see your point, but I disagree.