stillwater
New member
Posts: 2
|
 |
« on: February 11, 2012, 06:37:32 PM » |
|
Hi--
I'd appreciate your seasoned advice on the current situation I'm in with a difficult student.
I teach history of English to graduate Engilsh majors, and I have an extremely unhappy and rude student, who does not have any knowledge in basic (I mean, middle school level) grammar and linguistics. He said he took linguistics (this is a prerequisite for the course) and received a failing grade.
He is extremely angry that I am not teaching what I promised in the syllabus. In my syllabus, I stated that the course will trace the change that the English language went through and we will examine political and social events that prompted those changes and linguistic concepts to understand the changes.
He criticized me the other day saying that what I have taught so far, (e.g. history of the alphabets, language families, Indo-European hypothesis, Old English declensions,sound laws, basic phonetics) was irrelevant to the course because they are not 'concepts' but 'specifics', and he is threatening me that he will report to administrators that I am teaching something totally different from what the syllabus says. He had expected that the course would mainly involve discussions of political events and linguistic aspects would be minimal.
I am not scared, because I know my administrators will back me up. What I'd like to ask is if I have a right to ask this student to be removed from my class. He yells at me, takes up too much class time, complaining that he doesn't understand (e.g., he doesn't know what posessive pronouns, a direct object or a relative clause are). I've told him to drop the course and he said he will remain and continue to fight with me (because he needs this for graduation).
I am having ulcers and nightmares. I know he is very insecure about his embarassingly noneixtant grammar knowledge, but I really don't want this toxic person in my class. Any advice?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
prytania3
|
|
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2012, 06:41:45 PM » |
|
If he failed the prereq, throw his ass out of the class. Easy.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Clowns, I tell you. Clowns.
|
|
|
|
systeme_d_
|
|
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2012, 06:42:32 PM » |
|
If he failed the prereq, throw his ass out of the class. Easy.
Yup. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Systeme_D is right. <rah rah RESEARCH!> |
|
|
|
mountainguy
|
|
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2012, 07:04:42 PM » |
|
Disrupting class is a violation of the student handbook at most colleges. Find out what steps you need to follow to on your campus have him removed. Then document, document, document. I might also call his bluff about tattling on you to administration. ("Stu Dent, it sounds to me like you have major concerns. You are welcome to discuss those concerns with Dean Willy Wonderful" in the Office of . . ." ).
I repeat: document, document, document. I went through the process of having a student removed last semester of having an emotionally troubled student removed from my class. Even with the full support of my department chair and other program-level administrators, it still took several weeks for the process to reach its conclusion. The documentation I assembled ended up being quite useful, but I would not have remembered all of the details if I hadn't kept meticulous records from the get-go.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
prytania3
|
|
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2012, 07:08:15 PM » |
|
See, we have the power to kick out students who haven't fulfilled the prereqs. This kid would have been dispatched from my classroom forthwith.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Clowns, I tell you. Clowns.
|
|
|
geonerd
Creator of the award for heroic avoidance of dangling prepositions AND a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 5,577
Do not take the bait
|
|
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2012, 07:18:16 PM » |
|
Check both the student code of conduct and faculty handbook your institution and check your options for dealing with a disruptive student. The process might begin with a report to the Dean of Students, and depending on the level of behavior give you the option to call campus police to have the person removed from the classroom. Check the policy, give your department chair a heads up that the situation might escalate, and follow MG's advice to document everything.
However, you might want to begin (with your chair's knowledge and blessing) by contacting the student's academic advisor. Tell the advisor that Joe Rude's lack of pre-reqs is a problem. You think he would be in a much better position to succeed after completing X, Y and Z courses, where X is the developmental English/Comp course. Give specific names and course numbers and when they are offered.
Good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"Is this the water?"
"Yes."
Traffic doesn't care what I think of it. |
|
|
galactic_hedgehog
Procrastinating, Python-quoting, Blue Blazer-drinking, chocolate-chip cookie-eating, Pastafarian, Not So
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 18,564
Mind Ninja
|
|
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2012, 07:45:05 PM » |
|
Just wanted to say that I agree with the others. And, when you finally get him out of the class and have an open spot, I'll take it. The class sounds fascinating.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Your professors were probably afraid of your galactic genius and did everything they could (behind the scenes) to thwart your hedginess. Hedgie loves to read. |
|
|
larryc
Hu hatin'
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 18,288
Eschew the hu.
|
|
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2012, 08:13:42 PM » |
|
Begin with the handbook, but also have a chat with your chair or trusted senior colleague. Make it clear that you need to get this student out of your classroom ASAP and ask about the best way to do so.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
anon99
|
|
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2012, 08:21:31 PM » |
|
If he failed the prereq, throw his ass out of the class. Easy.
Yup. +1 If that doesn't work, then go to the handbook and student code of conduct. If he hasn't passed the prereq, he shouldn't be in the class. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
skeptical
|
|
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2012, 09:47:49 PM » |
|
Wow, you have my sympathy. Have you told him--explicitly--that you find his behavior unprofessional and unacceptable? I suspect that the other students in your class are frustrated by this classmate and will applaud every attempt you make to smack him down (in a professional way, of course). Good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
penultimate24
Junior member
Posts: 94
|
|
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2012, 08:19:49 PM » |
|
OP, I totally sympathize. I have had difficult situations in the past (not quite the same as this one, but suffice it to say I lost sleep and often threw up before/after class in the parking lot).
I echo the advise given so far. If the student failed the pre-req...are the even supposed to *be* in this class?
I would also check the student code of conduct because the behavior is clearly disrupting class.
Perhaps if you fail to call on them (a passive tactic, but worth trying), they will give up. Seems like the student knows they will fail, and rather than moving on, they are there to bug you.
As for the course requirements/goals--what you outlined seems quite reasonable. Aren't concepts what we internalize after learning both general info and specifics? Seems like this person wants to be a language bully.
Focus on the students who are genuinely interested...and DOCUMENT everything. This student seems to be the type who may push for a grade appeal down the line when they fail.
Seems like all you can do. I would be really frustrated here. Just keep affirming to yourself that the lesson content is valuable, you are a strong teacher, and this student has personal problems totally divorced from you.
Good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
prof_cj
Still uses actual books for his gradebooks
Senior member
Posts: 274
|
|
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2012, 10:14:52 AM » |
|
Chiming in to agree w/everyone advising you look into getting him removed from the class. I do wonder how he'd get into your class after failing the prerequisite through.
Also, I'm working on the assumption that the usual "talking to them in person alone after class/outside the room" and "Laying down the law in front of everyone else in class" haven't worked?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
