A self-righteous religious class-mate

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There is a women in my class who is 35 years of age and she claims that she is a Jehovah Witness while acting like she is better than everyone else. For one thing, she constantly gets into fights with her other classmates and even the instructor about their own Christian beliefs in that she is all right and we are all wrong. She also has the tendency to dominate the conversation when it comes to having class discussions and half of the time you can't understand what she is saying. because she talks too fast. Finally, she has no consideration for anyone else but herself and hogs all the class time talking about her stuff. For instance, she spent 45 minutes on Thursday talking about a subject and didn't let anyone else have a chance to voice their own opinions. When it was close to break time, I even said something in the end in regards to the subject and she goes "How long is this going to take because it's break time?"

How should I approach her without sounding like a jerk because she is really confrontational the next time she talks like that..

What type of class is it? And is this person interfering with your learning?

What do you want to tell/explain/clarify with her? Planning out your message either here or on paper would probably help you figure out things a little.

This person seems like she just wants to hear her own voice from what you have said. It's hard get a word in if a person doesn't want to listen.

Personally, I'd just ignore her but that's just me. Perhaps understanding her religious beliefs better would help, in case the behaviour stems from there (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses). Most Jehovah Witness' I've met seemed nice though.

This is a problem that the instructor should be dealing with, especially if it's as obvious as you say and the class is discussion oriented. Approach the instructor directly and explain that you feel that this student is dominating the conversation and enaging in verbally intimidating behavior. Sometimes instructors don't deal with problem students like this one because i) they're newish and don't know how, ii) it's easier to let them talk and it ensures there's never silence (teacher's worst nightmare in a discussion class), or iii) the other students don't seem to be bothered by the person.

It mostly sounds like a teaching problem to me.

[I speak from experience here, I teach college.]

I wonder if she thinks she's "witnessing" and thus doing the Will of God.

My friend's father had an excellent technique for warding off witnesses.

When he saw them at the door, he'd strip down naked and then greet them and start referring to your standard hedonistic orgy, blood sacrifice, whatever and ask if they wanted to join. Apprently it worked pretty well

Maybe try some equally awkward hahaha

She does like to seem to hear herself talk and also try to put down the other denominations and their theories. Meanwhile, she does preach and it gets on my nerves and I think I will have a talk with my instructor about her behavior.

I wonder if your instructor might want to try discussing the situation with the Head Witness, whoever that may be. She might be only mistaken in how a good Witness behaves. Maybe one of her own would be willing to check it out with her?

I would just interupt her as she argues with the instructor reminding the teacher I am paying to be taught not to hear you argue with some christian taliban idiot. I'd yell this if I had too. Remind the teacher she is wasting your chance for an education and may ask for a refund because of it.

As has already been said, this is an issue for your professor to address. If you wish to do so, bring your concern to the professor privately and explain to him or her what you have told us. It is then your professor's responsibility to address the situation.