This Q&A was adapted with permission from the book Chalk Talk: E-advice from Jonas Chalk, Legendary College Teacher, edited by Donna M. Qualters and Miriam Rosalyn Diamond
Question
Dear Jonas,
Help me! This is the first year that I’ve taught, and I’m not happy with some of the behaviors in my class this quarter and am not sure what to do. The problems range from students wearing clothing outside the dress code, or eating and drinking in class, to students who are disruptive and say inappropriate things to me and to other students.
I’ve tried ignoring the problems and I’ve tried the other extreme, calling disruptive students on their behavior in class, but things are only getting worse. What can I do?
Signed: Intimidated Instructor
Answer
Dear Intimidated Instructor,
This is a common issue in higher education classes so take heart you’re not the only one. I believe that I could type for pages on this question, but I’ll try to be brief. I’m going to tell you my thoughts on the matter, and what works for me and for other professors I talk to.
As you’ve noticed, ignoring disciplinary problems tends to lead to more problems, and yelling at a given student only serves to make him/her angry and defensive in return.
Here are some suggestions I use. First of all, I try to treat my students as I would treat my colleagues in similar circumstances. If my colleagues are attending a meeting or seminar and are late, leave early, have a cell phone ring, bring lunch with them, etc., I try to understand that people have other commitments, that people forget to turn off phones, and that people sometimes have trouble fitting a meal into their day. As long as students come and go quietly, look appropriately embarrassed at a cell phone ringing, and eat quietly while paying attention, I treat them like adults and don’t object. However, I believe that comments that add some levity – like one might make to a colleague – are appropriate. Something along the lines of “Nice of you to drop in” for a student who comes in significantly late might be in order. It lets the student know that you’ve noticed his/her tardiness, but it does so in a non-confrontational manner. In addition, if a given student is constantly leaving early or late to class, you should talk to them (calmly) after class, and try to find out if there is some legitimate reason for their unusual activities. Try to keep in mind, though, that if you’re going to object to students being tardy or leaving early, then it is only reasonable for you to be careful to end your class on time.
For students who are constantly talking and being disruptive, I try humorous comments the first couple of times, then I try a stern (but still calm), serious comment about how other students are trying to learn – this never fails. Other colleagues have walked the aisle and stand near the students talking while they continue class. Some professors raise the disruption as a class issue and ask students for their input on how to deal with their disruptive classmates.
As for matters of politeness and attire, I believe that these are a matter of taste, and that some students will seriously object to such rules. Sometimes it’s a matter of degree – on a hot spring day, I once had a male student attend class without a shirt on; if I had yelled at him, I think there would have been a protracted argument. What I did do was to laughingly suggest that perhaps his shirtlessness was “a bit much”, and he put his shirt on while making some joking comment back.
However, if you wish to set certain expectations in your classroom, you need to make them clear on the first day and in your syllabus. I think it would help to point out that there will be such rules later in the workplace and there are also such rules at many nightclubs – so it’s not unreasonable for you to have a dress-code, or other rules of decorum, in your class.
As for provocative things that students might say to you, it is best to try to brush them off in an amused fashion. Whatever you do, do not respond in kind. If it is a frequent problem with one student, you should talk to him/her outside of class, as inappropriate or rude behavior does not need to be tolerated. On the other hand, I have a different attitude when it comes to one student making an offensive comment to another student in front of the whole class. This is the only time when I believe that the correct response is to tell the offending student that personal attacks are never appropriate or tolerated in your class; the general populace in your class needs to know in no uncertain terms that you will not tolerate students abusing other students.
I said that I would try to be brief, but the list of strategies for keeping control of a class is endless. My comments above boil down to: establish classroom expectations from the beginning, try to deal with problems that don’t affect other students in a humorous fashion, and deal with problems that do affect the other students in a serious manner.
Good luck,
Jonas