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He told me that his pain meds make him somewhat loopy for class. Last week, he walked out of class frustrated because his meds had caused him to be unprepared for class. "I'm lost!" "I'm confused!" "Huh?" "What are we doing?" he kept saying.
Today, he asked a question about something. I swear he has things timed precisely, because, and I kid you not, his attention evaporated at the exact moment when I started explaining and breaking things down. He was shuffling his papers, going through his backpack
and just all-around not paying attention to the answer to his question.
I continued with the explanation for the benefit of the rest of the class. However, when I had finished explaining, he was still shuffling his stuff and not even making eye contact with the front of the room. Keep in mind, he had asked a question but was not really interested in an answer.
There's something about it when someone demands a learning opportunity from me but treats it like I am some little child showing off his baseball card collection. It hurts. It pisses me off. I know that the pool of people that we serve are not exactly operating on all thrusters. I know that. But, it still pisses me off. I feel like it wastes my time, and the time of everyone else in class when students behave this way. I know that in time, it will get easier as my skin thickens and my "bag 'o tricks" becomes more and more enriched.
Today especially got on my nerves. I made the following sarcastic remark to my class: "Well guys, I hope this was helpful, as I am not sure how many of you actually heard any of what I just said."
Q: Sometimes I get "grouchy" with difficult students. Does this make me an evil teacher/person? Also, what do you guys do with students who ask you a question and then turn their attention elsewhere when you are answering it? I have been toying with a policy of banning questions from the students who behave this way, but I doubt it would fly. Have any of you tried that?
No, being grouchy is not what makes you an evil person, or holographic simulation of such.
ReplyDeleteEven if the questioner doesn't pay attention, it's still worth answering. Other students probably have the same question, you look smart, and your helpful response encourages other students to ask questions too.
Sarcasm never pays off and banning questions from a student would not work (though I've never tried it). Don't get into a pissing match with a student. You're in charge so don't stoop to their level.
@ Beaker
ReplyDeleteThat's great advice. Thanks!
The other thing? Don't let them get to you. Any energy you spend brooding over the difficult students is energy wasted. It's time you've given them that they did not deserve to get.
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't take other people's eccentricities or illnesses personally. He's already told you his pain meds make him loopy. This is his problem; don't make it yours.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest pleasure I had today was when the student who spent the ENTIRE class period spinning around and around almost fell over because she was so dizzy (no, that's not a metaphor; she was literally spinning in her chair; we have nice chairs in the seminar room). Few students had paid attention to my lecture because we were all watching her spiral into descent. I continued my lecture even though she was spinning, and then separated them into groups (so they could turn around and avoid looking at her). I figured the others at least deserved that. Was I pissed off with her. Hell, yeah! Was I amused when she almost fell over? Even more so! Will I talk to her about NOT spinning in tomorrow's class? Maybe... it depends what my lecture will be on.
ReplyDeleteSorry your ego is feeling a hit today. I'm sure the meds aren't helping this individual at all. It's not you; it's them!
I agree you can't ban the student (let's call him Spacy) from asking questions. But you CAN ask if anyone else has the same question as Spacy. And, if nobody does, you can suggest Spacey email you or visit you in office hours to discuss the question "so we don't take up anyone else's time". You'll be a hero to the class and Spacy wont have any grounds for complaint!
ReplyDeleteat my university (I'm only staff, but I get the emails LOL), profs are asked to report any odd behavior to Student Affairs so they can follow up with the student to see if they are ok. This applies most specifically to freshman during fall semester, to make sure they are adjusting ok to college, but I'm pretty sure any faculty/staff can talk to Student Affairs about any student behavior. (and honestly, that way you cover your ass . . . it always seems to come up, when something tragic happens to students . . . why didn't anyone notice/do something about this?)
ReplyDeleteI had a guy like this in a class once, and he made things worse by phrasing his questions in with reference to his fellow students. As in "no one understands the assignment." I would then ask the rest of the class if it were true. "Do we need to go over this?" And then respond accordingly.
ReplyDeleteIf your guy is shuffling and wriggling, chances are he's annoying and distracting everyone else in the room, and not just you. I think getting grouchy is not necessarily productive, but it's understandable.
If he were my student, I'd ask for a meeting and talk refer him to some campus services to get help. If his meds are preventing him from learning, maybe he's better taking some time off.
I documented the incident and had it placed on his file. I have referred him to the tutoring center and disability services. Unfortunately, every time I do that, he thinks its some conspiracy to see that the school stays funded. When I handed him the tutoring application, he replied with, "I know why you are really doing this. You just want to make sure that the tutoring center doesn't lose its funding."
ReplyDeleteBy incident, I mean the incident when he walked out of the room after complaining out loud.
ReplyDelete