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[scolar]

I am an adjunct at a communitycollege in New York City and I have been teaching for about 5 years, but I still have not gotten used to the rude of disrespectful behaviors that some students display in the classroom. For example, any where from rude or disrespectful attitudes or disruptive electronic devices that are not turned-off. I specifically have a page designated just for classroom rules and conducted on my syllabus that warn students of class etiquette and prohibiting electronic devices in the classroom such as: cellphones, blackberries, pagers, or any device that alarms and disrupts the class. But I don't even think students bother to even read the syllabus. You would think that at this stage of the game, they would have grown out off childish and immature behavior (by the way I teach first year development English)

[spectacle]

I'm at a CC, too, and I have a lot of discipline problems, too.  For the first week.

Most schools have a Student Handbook that includes a code of conduct.  There's typically a clause that permits the instructor to ask students to leave if they're "disrupting the learning environment" for other students.

Once students realize that I am dead serious about throwing them out if they're disruptive - and that I'll call the campus police if they refuse to leave - the problem students sort themselves out pretty damn quick. 

Find out what your options are in terms of discipline and enforce them.  Go see your student affairs office and the person who handles disciplinary problems - get their feedback and their support.

[neutralname]

You would think that at this stage of the game, they would have grown out off childish and immature behavior (by the way I teach first year development English)

Why would you think that?  It strikes me as an entirely unrealistic expectation.  Especially since if you go to a faculty meeting you generally see the same problems. 

[torshi]

I agree that it's an unrealistic expectation, but even if I didn't think it was, your own experience over the past five years has shown you that it is.

I don't think it's helpful to focus on attitudes.  You may be reading attitudes into behavior that are not intended.  In any case, the behavior is more problematic than the attitudes.  I don't care if students hate being in class, but I expect them to fake it.  And I tell them that. 

No one's going to read a syllabus unless you read it with them or somehow otherwise compel them to read it.  Why would they?  A syllabus is a boring thing to read before you need it for deadlines.  But the syllabus is less meaningful than what you do in the room on a daily basis.  Your rules are expressed by your acting them out.

If you're just posting to complain, though, I feel for you.  I never expected to have to spend so much time and wiliness on classroom management.  I had a student write on an evaluation, "I payed for the class and I can read the newspaper in it if I want to."  No, you can't.  But I get the point.  You're paying, so you make the rules.

[larryc]

You need to take control of your classroom. It is unpleasant to have a bunch of confrontations the first week, but once you get the class on track it requires only an occasional warning to keep them there. And your life is so much easier for the rest of the semester.

[mountainguy]

Larry is right that it's easier to be strict the first week to set the tone for the rest of the semester than it is to be lenient at first and then crack the proverbial whip later on. I've also noticed what I would call the 4th Week Slump--also consistent with Robert Boice's observation that student incivilities are highest before the first major assessment--that students will again try to push instructor buttons about 1 month into the semester. The best you can do is to be ready for it in advance.

If you've not done so already, it would be a good idea to talk to your supervisor and/or department chair about how they prefer disciplinary issues be dealt with. Policies and procedures can vary widely by campus, so it's a good idea to know what will be supported and what won't.

[4healthedprof]

I am an adjunct at a communitycollege in New York City and I have been teaching for about 5 years, but I still have not gotten used to the rude of disrespectful behaviors that some students display in the classroom. For example, any where from rude or disrespectful attitudes or disruptive electronic devices that are not turned-off. I specifically have a page designated just for classroom rules and conducted on my syllabus that warn students of class etiquette and prohibiting electronic devices in the classroom such as: cellphones, blackberries, pagers, or any device that alarms and disrupts the class. But I don't even think students bother to even read the syllabus. You would think that at this stage of the game, they would have grown out off childish and immature behavior (by the way I teach first year development English)

As I was once told by my mentor when I started teaching (non-tt; 4-year university adjunct) "You are the leader of your class. You set the tone."

Grant it, there will always be students who are the "disrespectful outliers" (and for these students, I reserve a special "smack down" when behavior becomes incessantly, incorrect.) In addition, I tend to hear the constant refrain of "I'm an adult, and she..."or "She treated me like a child..."  from the aforementioned disrespectful students after the smack-down.

Bottom line: Adults, can NOT act like children, and then code-switch and demand "adult status"  when they get reprimanded.

Also, if you are having issues with classroom management in week 1, it is extremely important that you set the tone. That might mean asking students to leave, and imposing sanctions if behaviors are repeated.

Hang in there. It's not just you, but it requires YOU to set the tone.

Good luck.

[hulkhogan]

Much of what you can do depends on your campus culture. if you teach at Customer Service CC where all the administration cares about is headcount, you'll have to develop a thicker skin and ignore most behaviors. If nothing else, students are very good at learning what the administration will let them get away with.

[bigghostdini_tha_don]

I agree with other posters saying that you have to get stern with them, and the way you react early in the term will set the tone for the rest of it.  In my experience these students get very shy when all eyes turn to them, I'd just focus on diverting attention to the fact that they're making fools of themselves, plus the rest of the class will respect you for handling it.

But it depends on what your concern is, if it's just looking at their phones or laptops and not paying attention, I'd say let them do it, I mean really who cares as long as they aren't having little conversations or making smart remarks that distract the class or make it harder to do your job.  I do know that students can get disrespectful, especially at CC level, but imo it is important to differentiate between disrespect and apathy... I can deal with the latter.

[prytania3]

I am an adjunct at a communitycollege in New York City and I have been teaching for about 5 years, but I still have not gotten used to the rude of disrespectful behaviors that some students display in the classroom. For example, any where from rude or disrespectful attitudes or disruptive electronic devices that are not turned-off. I specifically have a page designated just for classroom rules and conducted on my syllabus that warn students of class etiquette and prohibiting electronic devices in the classroom such as: cellphones, blackberries, pagers, or any device that alarms and disrupts the class. But I don't even think students bother to even read the syllabus. You would think that at this stage of the game, they would have grown out off childish and immature behavior (by the way I teach first year development English)

If you teach developmental English, it would behoove you to learn the proper use of colons. Also, what's with the sentence fragment?

For example, any where from rude or disrespectful attitudes or disruptive electronic devices that are not turned-off.

Yikes.

Dude, maybe they don't respect you because they don't think you know what you're doing.

[retrenchment]

Skip the honeymoon. The ones who are trouble don't want to learn, but they want the credit. Therein lies your power. Start right off with projects and quizzes with clear instructions as to how the grading will be done. Then grade exactly as you said you would, with no leniency.

[zuzu_]

If you are teaching developmental students at an urban community college, chances are most of your students have little idea how to behave professionally. They probably have no idea what "syllabus" means.

I think you'd be wise to dedicate a little class time upfront to teaching them, explicity, what behavior is expected and how a college course operates. Give them an open-notes syllabus quiz. Talk positive. Model civil, professional behavior. Tell them you respect them and expect their respect in return. Tell them you know they can rise to these expectations. And once you've educated them on expected behavior, be firm.

[offthemarket]

Establish the guidelines as 'behavioral norms.'  It's not a rule, per se, but an expectation.  Ask the class to come up with a list of norms at the start of the semester, and include your own.  If someone doesn't like it, discuss it for a bit, and if they don't agree with the no-phone policy, for example, explain your reasoning, and if they don't like it, then hand them a signed drop slip.

[retrenchment]

I am an adjunct at a communitycollege in New York City and I have been teaching for about 5 years, but I still have not gotten used to the rude of disrespectful behaviors that some students display in the classroom. For example, any where from rude or disrespectful attitudes or disruptive electronic devices that are not turned-off. I specifically have a page designated just for classroom rules and conducted on my syllabus that warn students of class etiquette and prohibiting electronic devices in the classroom such as: cellphones, blackberries, pagers, or any device that alarms and disrupts the class. But I don't even think students bother to even read the syllabus. You would think that at this stage of the game, they would have grown out off childish and immature behavior (by the way I teach first year development English)

If you teach developmental English, it would behoove you to learn the proper use of colons. Also, what's with the sentence fragment?

For example, any where from rude or disrespectful attitudes or disruptive electronic devices that are not turned-off.

Yikes.

Dude, maybe they don't respect you because they don't think you know what you're doing.

Wow, you give the students a lot of credit. Scolar writes about as well as does the chair of my department.
I think scolar is just dealing with a few teenage boneheads.