Hi Thomas, When approaching the educational environment you need to place yourself in the role of the student and see the setting from their point of view. You are right that any kind of distraction can impede learning. The problem is that we often overlook the distractions that students notice. Then the little become big issues. A quick walk through prior to class is always a good idea to get a feel for the setting that day, even though you may have taught in that classroom or lab for many years. In addition this walk through allows you to straighten any displays, books, etc. that have gotten out of order and to “police” the area by picking up any stray pieces of paper that may have been discarded. The idea is to set a clean and receptive environment for the students. You are right in your thinking about a well prepared class and a receptive learning environment will do much to get the students ready to learn. Gary