Snowflakes Trixie (in her girlie football jersey and heavy makeup) and Dopey (Trixie's non-too-bright sidekick) sit in the back row, and they're talking while I'm trying to explain that the paper isn't due Wednesday, it's now due next Monday (you're welcome) and what all has changed with the new calendar and they're still talking. Loudly.
And because I had spent the weekend in MyKindaTown with friends, drinking and laughing and having the kinds of conversations about art, music, philosophy, and sex that I cannot have with these children I teach four days a week--I lost it.
"What the hell are you two talking about that is so important?? I AM TALKING HERE. SHUT UP AND LISTEN. If you cannot do that, I will separate you permanently for the semester, or I will ask you to leave, because you are incredibly irritating and rude."
And without skipping a beat, continued to explain the pertinent changes to our schedule before firing up my lecture for the day.
I don't feel like I was out of line. I feel like they are fucking lucky that I don't believe in physical violence, because this is the second time since the start of the semester on 9/8 that I have to call the two of them out and I was really feeling like just cracking their heads together like a couple of coconuts.
I have been having trouble with this too, particularly in one of my classes. I am so sick of it. Giggling especially. The girls are really bad. At least all the boys do is sleep. I am just asking them to leave from now on.
ReplyDeleteI wish more of my Profs had done that! This is a big issue with me. There were two classes in particular where that happened and it was a frustrating distraction for me. One of my Profs tolerated very little nonsense in his class and I mentioned on his Eval that I appreciated his classroom discipline. Some of the rooms in our school had terrible acoustics which did not help in hearing what was being said. I sat in one particular class next to two young men in the front row who believed they were experts in the subject, and felt compelled to add their own running commentary to each other on the lecture. The Prof, who was an older and very nice man, never said a word. I kept shooting them darts with my eyes but it never worked. I tried moving up from them, but then I had problems hearing the Prof. Kudos to you for respecting the rights of other students to be able to hear and concentrate on what you were saying.
ReplyDeleteGo Chrome!
ReplyDeleteYep, you weren't out of line. If the girls (and I use that purposely) were shocked, that's a good thing. Doing disruption paperwork will help you CYA if they complain to a dean.
You probably know this, but be sure to follow through: separate them at the very next inappropriate exchange, even if it's just a shared roll of the eyes.