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[fiona]

I have a colleague like that, who won't stop talking and racing off on tangents. She's tyrannized/dominated department meetings for years, because people are afraid to be rude and cut her off.

I've sometimes cut her off, but no one follows my lead. (It's so hard to be the only genius.)

But I've come to think that that kind of tangenting isn't just laziness or even retardation. I think it's a mental problem, maybe narcissism, maybe some form of Asperger's. I think there are people who, likewise, genuinely cannot organize their thoughts and cannot (for instance) write a composition with topic sentences and supporting ideas.

I think it's some kind of social or learning disability that involves inability to prioritize and inability to assess one's audience.

That doesn't help solve it, but I wonder if anyone's done some research on that behavior.

[elsie]

I've seen it in students with ADHD. They have a difficulty organizing their thoughts to stay on topic, and poor impulse control results in them speaking when it's not appropriate for them to do so.

[crazybatlady]

This is goofy, but it works (only in a small class):

Hand out poker chips or some other item to students as they come in, and as they participate in discussion they toss the item in a basket at the center.  Only when all chips are in the basket can someone who's already spoken open his big fat blabbering mouth again.

Alternatively, pass out something to each contributer as they talk, and only when everyone has something on their desk from you can there be repeats.

You can sell this however you like, but I make up a "survivor" game or make teams with different color chips and create a competition to get everyone involved.

[regular_joe]

"Me: What does this tell us about pheonomenon X?

Student: Blue, rhinorceros, triangle.

Me:  Well, that's interesting, but it's not really on topic.  Anyone else? What does this tell us about pheonomenon X?"

Maybe I'm just tired, but I laughed myself silly at this! Nobody has ever come up with a funnier list of incongruous items. Thanks, medievalisttoo, for brightening up my day!

[supernumerary]

"Me: What does this tell us about pheonomenon X?

Student: Blue, rhinorceros, triangle.

Me:  Well, that's interesting, but it's not really on topic.  Anyone else? What does this tell us about pheonomenon X?"

Maybe I'm just tired, but I laughed myself silly at this! Nobody has ever come up with a funnier list of incongruous items. Thanks, medievalisttoo, for brightening up my day!

I really laughed at that one too - hilarious!!

[avaya]

Thanks everyone for more good points.  You are right, he may be ADD or have other issues beyond intelligence level.

Arugula said something that really hit home with me:

... even informal discusson isn't a free for all; there is a structure and a point to what you're doing together.

THIS is what I needed to hear.  I want to encourage discussion, so I feel uncomfortable cutting it off.  Normally my students are really on topic, so I have never had to never had to face this issue before.  Guiding discussion is normally easy - the main issue I've had to face is when students are wrong, which I've found ways to deal with (balancing letting the class know what the correct facts are vs not making people afraid to talk for fear they'll get in trouble for saying something incorrect).

I'm going to talk with the student and let him know 1) class participation is based on discussion of relevant topics, not just any old talking 2) he needs to work more on staying on topic, because even though it may seem like a "free for all," it's not and I am guiding students through discussion points I want to cover and 3) he should limit his comments to 3 per class, and he can write the rest down.  After class is over, I would be happy to meet with him to discuss any additional comments/questions he has and help him work on the issue of staying of topic.

[acrimone]

Treat it as an academic issue rather than a classroom management issue. 

First, take him aside and say "We're discussing X and you're discussing Y.  You need to do the reading and stay on topic."

If that doesn't work, wrinkle your brow, put your thumb on your chin, peer at the student, and say in response to one of his tangents in class, "Did you actually do the reading or are you trying to distract us on purpose?"

Just a thought.

[arugula]

I've actually given a student three comment tickets at the beginning of class and asked him to keep them on the desk and turn them over for each comment he made.  We made the arrangement before class and no one else noticed it.  But it helped keep him aware of how much blurting of random thoughts he normally did and helped him plan to say relevant, thoughtful comments.  He only needed tickets once, but later in the term he self-regulated by saying, "I don't want you to have to give me tickets."

I love the poker chip for everyone idea.  I'm going to try it this week with a class that needs some prompting to discuss better.

[voxprincipalis]

Or, just smack him with a mackerel.

VP

[larryc]

A professor at the University of Chicago once put his hand on my shoulder after class and said "Young man, class participation includes knowing when to shut up."  Chicago professors prided themselves on that kind of tough-minded brutality.  Norman McLean famously wrote on a student essay "You vocabulary is modest and miserable, yet more than adequate to express your ideas."

[science_expat]

Have you tried comments along the lines of "that's a really interesting idea but it's not clear to me how this relates to the topic. Can you please explain the link?"

[prytania3]

Or, just smack him with a mackerel.

VP

I'm faxing your posts to the moderator and my lawyer for making personal insults and attacks against mackerels. They have feelings, too, you know.

[prof_mom]

Or, just smack him with a mackerel.

VP

I'm faxing your posts to the moderator and my lawyer for making personal insults and attacks against mackerels. They have feelings, too, you know.

How can that be a personal insult? She didn't mention a specific mackerel, did she? Unless the mackerel taking it personally thinks everything is about him or her, there is no reason to take it personally.

class participation includes knowing when to shut up." 

Would you agree to an extension of this advice? Perhaps we could say participating in ANY discussion includes knowing when to shut up.

[prytania3]

Would you agree to an extension of this advice? Perhaps we could say participating in ANY discussion includes knowing when to shut up.
 
 

You're reported to the moderator for making personal insults.

[dr_evil]

I had a student like this.  I found that she wasn't really dumb; she just tended to speak up without thinking about things first.  I had to remind her a few times to think first and she was much better about it for the rest of the term.  Unfortunately, she went back to her old habits the next semester.