The naysayers
There's always a place for those that challenge the status quo, but periodically you have a student that always sees the cup as half empty and after awhile the class doesn't want to listen to them. How do you bring that student back into the fold as far postive contributions?
Hi Tracy,
I agree! Negativity is definitely contagious, and we must stop it by dealing with it immediately.
Patricia Scales
When I have a student that is constantly negative i find that often they are bored or insecure. They can be a challenge for sure but getting to the bottom of the issue is important. Negative energy spreads from student to student if you don't address the issue (whatever that may be)ASAP.
In my experience, the best way to deal with a naysayer is allow that person to see the positive value in the experiences of his/her peers. I've found that doom-and-gloomers have other issues rather than those that are course driven. Once they see that there is value in what they are learning, they will more than likely come back to the table, because they see the negativity isn't working.
-R
