Nothing wrong about being an old fogey, but you may be wrong about the
etiquette of hats.  I researched this a bit, as balding people may.  The
rule about taking off hats indoors was meant to apply to homes and the like.
Men were not expected to take off their hats in offices, conference rooms,
etc.  However, the old rules did require a man to doff his cap in the
presence of a lady.  Assuming that there are women in your classroom, the
hat wearing might be impolite on this grounds.  Of course, all the rules
about hats are many decades old, and this latter rule may have been obviated
by intervening concepts of equality.
 
Frank
 
 
 
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