Difficult students in the college classroom: Some tips
What do we do about difficult students?
More to the point, what is a difficult student?
Is it one who comes to class but doesn't do their work yet expects special treatment? Is it one who likes to dominate in class discussions? Is it one who says inappropriate (and by that I mean sexist/ racist/etc.) types of things intentionally? Is it one with a learning disability that causes outbursts, interruptions, or lack of social control? Is it the sulker, the nonparticipant? Is the the one who wants to sit in your office and chat way past the time for office hours? Is it the one who emails about every point of the assignment? Is it the one who argues over grades, especially over "subjective" grades on writing or projects?
Are there other types of difficult students?
A few ideas:
1. rubrics. Best.Invention.Ever. They are time consuming to create and have to be revised, but they save a lot of time in grading. (Also Transparency in Learning, an interesting movement that I was ahead of for the most part but recently learned more about.)
2. Boundaries.
3. Heart-to-heart chats outside of class about lack of participation, inappropriate comments, or dominance.
4. Never call a student out in class unless the behavior is way, way out of line (like threats, violence, racial slur, sexual harassment, or pretty bad profanity). In those cases ask them to leave and call public safety. Generally, though, have a go-to phrase, "That's interesting but I'm sure some would disagree, what do you think, James?"
5. I had a class last semester with 30 students. I wanted them to talk, but knew most wouldn't in a class that large, nor could they. I did a lot of small groups, finding different ways to split them up (and NOT letting them pick their own groups). They had to move around but they got over it. More of them talked in the small groups than in the 30-person class.
Others? I'm sure there are lots of great ideas out there.
More to the point, what is a difficult student?
Is it one who comes to class but doesn't do their work yet expects special treatment? Is it one who likes to dominate in class discussions? Is it one who says inappropriate (and by that I mean sexist/ racist/etc.) types of things intentionally? Is it one with a learning disability that causes outbursts, interruptions, or lack of social control? Is it the sulker, the nonparticipant? Is the the one who wants to sit in your office and chat way past the time for office hours? Is it the one who emails about every point of the assignment? Is it the one who argues over grades, especially over "subjective" grades on writing or projects?
Are there other types of difficult students?
A few ideas:
1. rubrics. Best.Invention.Ever. They are time consuming to create and have to be revised, but they save a lot of time in grading. (Also Transparency in Learning, an interesting movement that I was ahead of for the most part but recently learned more about.)
2. Boundaries.
3. Heart-to-heart chats outside of class about lack of participation, inappropriate comments, or dominance.
4. Never call a student out in class unless the behavior is way, way out of line (like threats, violence, racial slur, sexual harassment, or pretty bad profanity). In those cases ask them to leave and call public safety. Generally, though, have a go-to phrase, "That's interesting but I'm sure some would disagree, what do you think, James?"
5. I had a class last semester with 30 students. I wanted them to talk, but knew most wouldn't in a class that large, nor could they. I did a lot of small groups, finding different ways to split them up (and NOT letting them pick their own groups). They had to move around but they got over it. More of them talked in the small groups than in the 30-person class.
Others? I'm sure there are lots of great ideas out there.
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