I am teaching a class this semester up in El Dorado Hills. In this class there is a student that has something wrong with him, possibly both physical and mental. He talks a lot in class, quite loudly, and sometimes interrupting. However, his comments are intelligent and well thought out and it is clear he is listening to what people are saying (even if he does tend to interrupt). Despite the fact that this is a college class, I have students that will snicker and make little comments to each other when he speaks. Is this high school? It's so frustrating and pathetic to me. I have had this happen before in a class (though, not this bad), and it is always in Folsom Lake College or the El Dorado Center - never in Modesto. Why is that, I wonder? Anyway, today I wrote the following e-mail to my class (excluding the said student):
Dear English 300 Class,
I am disappointed that I have to send out this e-mail, and it will not apply to some of you, but I felt it needed to be said. There is a student in our class named Steven who talks a lot in class, and I notice that many of you laugh and make fun of him while he is speaking. This is completely unacceptable behavior. To those of you doing this, I don't know if it makes you feel superior to make fun of someone else, but that bahavior should have been left back in high school and middle school. If you do not think you can manage to behave as an adult, then I suggest you find yourself a different English 300 class. You will find, in life, that at some point people will stop feeling bad for the person you make fun of and start feeling bad for you because you are the lesser person. I have never had to lecture any of my college classes on mature behavior, and sincerely hope I won't have to do it again. If you continue to behave this way in class and I call you out on it, you will be asked to leave and you will not be welcome back - I will drop you from my class. This is the warning.
Sincerely,
Jenny Lang
Folsom Lake College
Two students have responded to the e-mail by apologizing, and I at least apporeciate that they recognize their own behavior and will mend it. But I have some students, a couple girls in particular, who, I have a feeling, were bitches in high school and they are deciding that works for them. The student being made fun of participates a lot in class while the students who are making fun don't participate at all. Typical. Anyway, I am frustrated and fully intend on kicking students out if it comes down to it. This is why I didn't want to make more money and teach high school - behavior issues! Don't bring this shit to my classroom...I'll knock yo' ass out!
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2 comments:
Good for you Jenny! it is shocking to me that in this day and age, people don't have manners or feelings. I don't think parents spend enough time with their children teaching them the basics of living a knindly life. It should not be left up to teachers to have to teach manners, especially at the college level. However if you have taught them a lesson in life, all the better for it. Just a shame it had to be you.
Today was the first day of class since the e-mail, and I must say that they were much better behaved. Though, it is still a shame that I have to be pleased with that.
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