During the class discussion about Ralph Waldo Emerson, Shayla says, I don't think I can get lower in my seat. If Mrs. Jacobs was a television, I'd change
the channel." Why does Shayla feel this way?

Hi. You have not informed the text to which these questions refer, which makes it impossible for this question to be answered. However, I will try to help you as best I can.

If we look at the context of Shayla's actions, we can consider that she acts like this because she is bored. We can see that Shayla is leaning over in her chair and claims that she would like to change the channel if she was watching TV. This shows that she is bored with the discussion about Ralph Waldo Emerson. This boredom could be the result of her disinterest in Ralph Waldo Emerson, or the lack of content in the discussion.