What Am I To Do !!!!
So, I have to get this out of my chest. Today two students started bickering in the middle of my class. Really bickering. Like with attitude and everything. Apparently, one student said something under her breath and the other heard her and reacted. "If you have something to say about me, tell me to my face" "I wasn't talking to you." And you can imagine the rest. I could not believe my ears or my eyes when I saw this. Surprisingly, I kept my cool. I could have done many, many things, but I just shushed them and told them that their behavior was intolerable and that if they had something to say to each other they could go outside and settle it there. I really could not believe my ears and eyes!!! I felt like a high school teacher. It felt like high school all over again! I'm having a lot of problems with my students this year. They can't seem to understand that they have to turn off their cell phones before coming to class, they complain like there is no tomorrow, they come to class unprepared, they expect everything to be given to them and everything to be easy, they think they deserve an "A" just for doing their job, and... They bicker in my classroom!! I really don't know what to do with them. I've already walked out on them once. They are super spoiled and are really getting on my nerves. I don't get paid enough for this kind of shit. This is exactly why I'm not a high school teacher and yet I'm going
through all this shit at college level. Incredible!
through all this shit at college level. Incredible!
posted by Viv at
8:20 PM
10 Comments:
Well, I am just a fascist.This is what I do:
If their phone rings, they either get out of the classroom and leave the class or I answer the phone and tell the caller that he or she is in class. Call later.
As for the disorderly ones, warn them. If they keep misbehaving, they will have to leave the classroom. If they act up, leave the classroom, warning them that the material not covered in this class will be in a quiz. Or just simply give them the quiz.
As for when they don't study either give them a quiz or just leave the classroom, informing them that you will consider the material as discussed
You just have to be really strict and horrible about it. They're pursuing a higher education, therefore, they should behave as such. I may seem extreme, but I have friends who are worse :P Remember, this is just what I do, and if you want to try anything out, be my guest. But they're just options!
Best of luck!
By
Stella, At
9:48 PM
stella isn't being extreme at all, that's exactly what you have to do
remember, they're americans (ew, americans) being taught by english an immigrant, oh lord, heaven forbid an immigrant come teach me about "my" Hollywood, "them thar foreigners need not to teech me english, i alredy now how to speek english, mai faders taut me, duh!"
(also remember that americans only know the world is made up of the USA, a country named Eourop (where the british and french live), some place called "Iraqistan" where the troops are fighting the devil who believes in evolution, and a factory off in the east which produces really smart short yellow people with funky eyes that are good with computers and math. There's also Australia, they have kangaroos there, they hop and boxing is a natural skill of them)
so yes, the only circumstance where you can leave the classroom is by saying that since they don't wanna listen, you can only assume you're boring them with knowledge they already have, and that todays material will come on the test/quiz. Said test will require them to answer how many words are there on textbook page 432 (be it or be it not a page within whatever topic you're giving in class), how many times is the word "the" mentioned in that page, who was Benazir Bhutto (those who answer this one 50% correctly have 50% of the score, those who answer it 100% correct, have 99% of the score, cause you're half spanish, there's no such thing as a 100%, that also keeps them working hard for the impossible 100%).
if you leave the classroom, it means they won, and you can't have that, it'll only make them behave worse to get more free time. So either do the above and make it impossible for them to get 1 point (and it they write today's date, or their name wrong it's negative points omg!), or don't leave the classroom and give them a test about today's material, since, you're obviously boring them with knowledge they also posses, let them show you how well they know it by means of a pop quiz/essay! they'll shit bricks!
and brick shitting is the best thing you can ever get from a student.
By
Osoroco, At
10:43 PM
Wow! You guys are really hard! I should take advice from you. You have great ideas. I've already walked out on them once. I didn't walk out on them today because they had a review for the midterm (which is this Friday) and they were freaking out. And then in the middle of this review, the bickering takes place. I really kept my cool. I could have just walked out on them. But I raised my voice and said "EXCUSE ME!!" and then the rest about going outside to settle their dispute. But yes, I 'm really fed up. The only bad thing about quizzes is that I have to grade them afterwards :( And they won't read anyway. They really don't care. I'm really frustrated with American students. They are really spoiled and very few of them are open to new ideas or willing to change their minds or face the realities that I present in the classroom such as the fact that women's bodies are objectified more than men's or that stereotypes (all stereotypes) are wrong. They keep telling me that some stereotypes are bad or wrong :( This is frustrating, which is why I'm requesting 2 sections of the Modernity course for next semester. I can't handle this anymore.
I'm also scared (honestly scared) of doing anymore than what I'm doing discipline-wise because students here are very aware of their rights and they are willing to exaggerate anything to get their way. In addition, they can be very mean in their evaluations, which they were last semester. They wrote that I am unAmerican and disrespectful. UnAmerican? Maybe. Disrespectful? Never. I don't think so. And this semester I really ned good evaluations because bad evaluations won't look good in my folder. This is crap.
By
Viv, At
12:00 AM
P.S. I love your use of the vernacular Dami. You nailed it! ;)
By
Viv, At
12:02 AM
Te acuerdas ke andaba buscando a mi amiga Eileen? Finalmente la encontré y mira ke casualidad es maestra de High School y de Universidad en Charleston, igual ke tu enseña Literatura y también español...lleva 28 años en esto y el otro día se quejaba de lo mismo ke tú..el día de san Valentín sus alumnos universitarios no se presentaron la mayoría a clase porque creían ke era festivo y los pocos ke se presentaron pretendían ke les diera créditos por haber ido a clase!!!! Les dió el discursito de rigor y ke ellos pagaban(sus padres) por asistir a clases...
Según ella con el paso de los años los estudiantes universitarios en los primeros años ke asisten toman el college como una extensión de la escuela y cada año tardan mas en madurar...
Ella también ha sido señalada como puertorriqueña enseñando inglés...ke fuerte!!!
Los consejos de Stella y Dami ponlos en práctica,hay ke ser dura o se te comen y ponlo en conocimiento de tus superiores...
No te creas ke akí cambian mucho las cosas con respecto a la actitud de estudiantes a profesores, la única diferencia es ke akí cuando llegan a la universidad les cuesta mucho entrar; el último año de escuela es solo dedicado a pasar el exámen de entrada a la universidad .
Mas de la mitad no lo pasa y luego para entrar en lo ke kieras estudiar tienes ke tener una puntuación en ese exámen, con menos de 8 no entras en muchas carreras porke la competencia es muy grande... y cuesta mucho de pagar y también llegan un pokito mas maduros y preparados.
Mi mamá siempre decía ke la experiencia es un grado, tu estás empezando. Paciencia y ánimo!!!
By
Unknown, At
4:30 AM
Wow...Vivi, I feel bad for you. I totally feel pained for you! The situation you're in seems just...horrible. :/
I was going to ask you, have you gone to your department and found out what you can and cannot do with your students? Because that was the first thing I did when I began TAing. It's very important that you know the limits both you and the students have. And you should make both your policies and the department policies known on the very first day of class.
As for the unamerican and disrespectful comments, I was outraged. Ask your brother :p That unamerican thing has so many possible remarks:
1) Why, yes. I am unamerican I was born in Spain.
2) Well, depends on what you define as American. Remember, America is composed of so much more than the United States.
3) Uh, is my being American going to affect how I teach the class?
And I could keep going...
It really hurt to read that you're scared of the situation :/ I mean...one should never be afraid! I'm beginning to think that the English dept at RUM is extremely liberal because basically, I got to do whatever I wanted in the classroom (provided, of course, that it wasn't some sort of batshit insane thing). I just hope things get better for you as the semester goes on.
Last bit of advice, just go Khan on their asses. Genghis Khan.
By the way, what class are you teaching now?
By
Stella, At
9:15 PM
Thank you guys for all your kind words of encouragement. I needed them. What Ile says is totally right, students here are very immature. And yes, the do ask (and expect!) extra credit for whatever little thing they do, even if they are expected to do whatever it is as part of their duties. And they also think of college as an extension of their high school experience. I have very few students who are prepared to be in college. Its really incredible. I really feel like I'm dealing with kids. The fear situation is bad as well. I;m not really concerned with what my department lets or does not let me do because my department (mostly the chair and co-chair) is pretty liberal and pretty cool. What I am concerned with is whatever legal actions the students might take against me if I do anything a little bit strict. In addition, not being American (from the U.S, even if I do have American citizenship) or not being raised here and being a woman (especially one who does not look here age and does not inspire fear or intimidation) plays a really big part in my experience as a teacher. I've had students try to challenge my authority and try to intimidate me (especially male students). I don't know, something tells me that they don't believe that I know what I know and that I have enough knowledge to teach this class. even if I pretty much digest every article for them!! Well, enough complaining.
Stay tuned for more of this saga of mine.
P.S.
Ay, Tata. I miss you :(
By
Viv, At
10:58 PM
well, like stella said, go check with the dept. heads to see what can't you do in class, cause this fear of lawsuits is dumbing down the nation.
Also, if a student is trying to intimidate you, first of all don't let him/her do it, remember you're teaching them, you have the upper hand in the matter/age/experience, and you should get to know the law surrounding teaching college so they can't harass you with anything. Remember also that if they try any legal action regarding their grade, as long as you can justify the grading received, no problem. Also those quizzes I mentioned, don't have to be for a grade, just to strike fear into them and make them study. Or give em a pop quiz and at the end just tell them to keep it, but next time it'll be the real deal if they don't behave.
Do like in RUM, daily class participation is part of the grade, not extra credit.
Remember you are the authority in the classroom, the alpha and the omega, and however they treat you or address you can mean the difference between one grade or the other, or your consideration for extra credit. Next time someone tries to intimidate you, ask him if he's trying to do that, and remember him you are his mentor, and it depends on you if he passes or not (no need to be so direct but let the message be clear).
Remember, make em shit bricks. Fear controls, etc.
By
Osoroco, At
11:49 PM
Le comenté este rollo a Eileen y lo primero ke me preguntó es si luces muy joven..y claro le he dicho la verdad, ke en vez de parecer ke tienes 27 luces como de 20...y claro esto trae que crean ke eres uno de ellos...me sigues?
Por eso lo ke dice Dami es lo ke yo también pienso, tu eres la autoridad y lo tienes que demostrar...y lo ke te dije antes, y los demás también te dicen: habla con tus superiores en el departamento y entérate bien de todo, lo ke puedes y lo ke no puedes hacer...
Joder, os dais cuenta ke todo el mundo reclama sus derechos pero nadie kiere cumplir con su obligación???
También pienso ke siempre la juventud tiene ke ser rebelde: es su obligación, sino el mundo no cambiaría...10 años de diferencia entre una generación y otra es mucha. No te acuerdas cuando tu estabas en esa edad??
Rebeca que sale mucho por ahí y ha vuelto a estudiar y tiene 24 años ya me cuenta de la diferencia que hay entre sus 18 años y los de 18 ahora..."The generation gap"...siempre va a estar..
Y si te sirve de consuelo,mamí, con esa dulzura que tenía y esa paciencia infinita no se le paraba una mosca encima cuando enseñaba,se hacía respetar...sus compañeras maestra siempre le preguntaban como no se le oía levantar la voz,el silencio ke había cuando ella daba su clase, creo ke era una de sus tácticas... sus alumnos la adoraban y cuando se encontraba con algunos "rebeldes" siempre lograba llevarlos a su terreno.
Creo ke también hoy en día no se enseña magisterio como antes; te enseñaban técnicas de enseñanza, sicología y todo ese rollo para saber educar..hoy en día cualkiera que halla echo una carrera en matemáticas,inglés o lo ke sea enseña, sin tener las técnicas para la enseñanza.
Y recuerda:paciencia y autoridad..Y LEÑA AL MONO KE ES DE GOMA!!!
By
Unknown, At
3:29 AM
Tienes razon, hoy en dia cualquier persona con un bachillerato en ingles, matematicas, ciencias, etc puede enseñar. Las clases de pedagogia no son necesarias para esto. Yo coji algunas clases de pedagogia, pero nada me preparo para la realidad. Lo de verme joven tambien es verdad. Como te dije, creo que me quita credibilidad en los ojos de ellos. No creo que hay mucho que pueda hacer al respecto. Y si lo hay, me rehuso a hacerlo. No me voy a poner maquillaje y no me voy a vestir como una ejecutiva para ir a la universidad. POnerme tacos me cuesta asi que imaginate... (no es facil andar en tacos por el campus de mi universidad ademas las rodillas me duelen cuando me pongo tacos por la manana porque estoy muy fria, sabes?). Asi que pues, ya vere que me trae el futuro. Hay dias y hay dias tambien.
Gracias por el # de telefono de tu amiga. La llamare, espero este fin de semana.
Gracias Ile!
V.
Dios mio, si rebeca encuentra diferencias con gente de 18 años imaginate yo...
:(
By
Viv, At
12:28 AM
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