Sneezing in class, a seemingly minor nuisance, has become important enough to make it onto the CNN News Videos. When I first came upon the video “Teacher Stands Up to Sneezes”, I was reminded me of the class discussion we had on Ryanair’s toilet charges and Jennifer’s blog on its “stand-up seats”. Both targeted human needs. Just as Ryanair received much criticism for placing profit over consumer comfort, the teacher’s strong stance against sneezes landed him on the RidicuList. Clearly, it is never wise to mess with people’s “rights” and “needs.”
However, his stance may not be that ridiculous. Delving deeper, I realized that he deducted marks off students who said “God Bless You” after someone sneezed not off those that had sneezed. Why? The opportunity cost of “God Bless You” is high because the time interrupted could have contributed to a more cohesive lecture, more productive class discussion, and simply a better learning environment. This concept applies to disruptions of any kind, not only sneezing.
So next time, be aware of how your actions – arriving late, chatting, and even coughing *ahem* – may be at a high opportunity cost to others.