Is It Disrespectful When Students Yawn in Class?

Most parents and teachers think that yawning can be disrespectful. Conventional wisdom makes teachers think that students who yawn are bored or not prepared. In fact, many teachers punish their students for yawning in class because it can really disrupt their class. They may send them out of the room so that they can keep everyone else's attention. 

However, that is not always true. Students may yawn in the classroom for other reasons. They may not just be tired or disrespectful. Here are some reasons why they may be yawning during your lessons. 

Yawning actually can increase the blood flow to brain. 

This actually acts like a way to cool your brain down, similar to a radiator cooling off the engine of your car. This means that it helps your brain to increase concentration. Your students may be trying to focus better when they are yawning in the classroom. 

It doesn't necessarily mean that you are tired. 

Yawning may just be a way to help you wake up and be even more alert. If you notice someone who is yawning, they may just need a little pick-me-up to get focused again. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, even if your students seem exhausted. 

It can also be helpful to prepare people for action. 

In fact, it is very common when people are getting ready to do something important, like public speaking or even competing in sports events. You may notice more yawning when your students have a big test, either in your class or another of their classes. Their brain may just be helping them to get ready for it. 

Yawning is super contagious. 

When one person in the room starts yawning, it can make others do the same. So, if one person in your classroom starts yawning, you may notice a few others do the same. This can not be helped, even if it can make it hard to concentrate for the entire class. You may have to wait it out before you continue. 

This can also show empathy toward others. 

When you yawn with another person, you are actually showing them that you notice them. It can be a great way to bond, and get you used to responding the right way to others. 

Though you may be worried about your students when they are caught yawning in class, it isn't always bad. In fact, it can help people to wake up. It increases the blood flow to your brain, cooling your brain down, to help you with your concentration. Though it doesn't necessarily mean that you are tired, it can also help you wake up a little bit. You may also notice your students yawning more when they are preparing for something big, like public speaking (or even taking a test). 

It is also important to know that yawning is contagious. If someone starts in the classroom, you are likely to notice that others are going to start doing the same. Though this can be disruptive in your classroom, there isn't much that you can do about it, until they are all finished. Just wait it out, and then finish your lesson. You might even be delighted to find that yawning with others shows empathy and connection between your students. This is a good trait for them to have.

So, next time you want to yell at a student for yawning, you may want to stop a minute and consider what is going on. Do they just need a little pick me up to help wake them up? Or are they really trying to show you that they are focusing on what you are saying?