You may also be surprised at the informal behaviour of students in class and in other interactions with their professors and TAs. For instance, students may wear casual clothes to class. During class, they may eat or drink, read the newspape r, or talk with their friends. They may arrive late or leave early. They may call the teacher by his or her first name and ask questions which seem to challenge the teacher. Such behaviour may shock or offend you, if you are accustomed to a culture in whi ch students are overtly deferential and respectful toward their teachers.

Recognize that your students are not acting disrespectful of you personally or of you as a foreigner. Rather, their behaviour is normal for them. Indeed, may students may behave informally with teachers they like and respect. However, this does not mea n that you must tolerate any and all behaviour in your classroom. On the contrary, teachers commonly attempt to discourage behaviour that appears disruptive to the class, such as students talking loudly with one another.

Students expect and appreciate a variety of things from their teachers, some of which may be unlike the expectations of students in your country. Some examples.