"Auto open panel'' Issue

Hi! Thanks for your reply. I made a video but I took screenshots of it just to show the issue I'm having with the layer panel here. Basically whenever I have my video layer selected, all of the effects and options I added onto it just come out even when I really never prompt it to do that. I only click on the bottom (just below the layers) with the intention of adding a new layer in it. I never clicked on that little arrow icon that allows the layer to open and show the content it has. It always opens, blocking the entire panel, so it forces me to go back to the opened layer and click on its little arrow to close it. Despite that, it keeps opening whenever I click anywhere on the panel, like it automatically opens if I click somewhere as long as that layer remains selected (I have NO idea how to deselect a layer which is also a problem, I'm still new). But the thing is that this never happened to me before and I don't know how to disable this. 

I read there's supposed to be a little box that says "auto-open panel" located above in the tools bar but it's not there. I did see some screenshots as proof that it's absolutely supposed to be there which is what I will post later on. 

What I'm basically trying to explain here is that once I still have that layer selected, I won't be able to click anywhere on the panel without the layer opening randomly its long list of sources when I didn't even click on the little arrow which is what usually allows it to open and show its content. That auto open panel feature is what's causing me the problem but I can't find that checked box anywhere. I need to know how to uncheck it or if there's another setting located somewhere for it. Thank you!