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[goldenapple]

I am so sorry to hear about your difficulties. That really does sound like more than flesh and blood can bear. If it were my class, I think I would definitely be building in some film days.

could try a strategy in which you select a group of students (the non-crazy ones) to be your "panelists" and discuss the topic, while others have the task of observing the discussion. You might also consider giving students some very detailed note-taking tasks, so that you can re-direct a little bit of the craziness.

If you have students who are stoned or sleeping, you can quietly go up to them during writing or other activities and tell them that they don't seem to be well and that they should excuse themselves. Or just invite them out into the hall and tell them that they need to go home now, and that they need to make an appointment with you (or the chair) before coming back. I have had to ask students to leave before, and it's not pleasant. In some cases, I had to tell a student several times to drop my class or to go to another student services office to deal with being removed from my class. But I realize that may not be possible in your case.

[alohafromhere]

It has helped enormously to air these challenges here, and with my face to face colleagues.  Some very good strategies and ideas have already come forward on the Forum, and in various conversations.  All I can say is: this will make for a very interesting annual report next year. 

And, for interesting conversations in the hallway.  "Have I told you about my student who can't come to class because she is apparently plagued by black mold? No?  Well..." 

(Yes, that is a new development.  *sigh*)

Ten and a half weeks left...

[lucero]

I would give them questions ahead of time on the reading that they must complete before coming to class. (Tell them they must submit a copy to you at the beginning of class). This will keep the discussion on track without straying too much because of their craziness. You can always say "Ok. great. Thanks for that opinion. Let's move on to the next question, if we have time we can come back to your contribution."

Can you have them do presentations or panels and videotape them? Then screen them in the next class and have the students write peer evaluations. This will give them the chance to see how wacko they look in class and might make some of them shape up. Or else it would just be entertaining and a good piece of evidence in case you have problems with complaints at the end of the semester.

I agree that the sleeping and stoned students need to be quietly removed from the class.