I use a thumb in the air with silence. everyone stops to see what i'm doing,its more of a distraction than any thing but it works.
Classroom discipline is the straw that is breaking my back, concerning being an Instructor. I have tried the "silence", "see me after class", a note, walking up to the individual(s), and I am burned out. It appears we have several generations who have not been held responsible for their actions, have not been taught respect for their peers as well as those of a higher position, and the only thing they seem to value is "dodging the law". Some of our students are actually "in school" vs going to jail and brag about it. I have been working with my Program Director and Ed Director to have them monitor my capabilities/abilities and give me feedback, and it seems to help, but given the quality (or lack thereof) of students, I am just about finished with fulltime teaching.
Angela, I agree 100% that an adult classroom can be difficult at times to manage. It is also hard to do it alone. I highly recommend the MaxKnowledge Lounge (www.careercollegelounge.com/). This is a free resource to all students of a MaxKnowledge class and contains a great deal of information and resources from highly skilled instructors across the country and the world. Instructors from all subjects and topics share their experiences, techniques, and provide advise when requested so you may want to give it a try.
James Jackson
The hard love is a great approach! Students DO feel entitled because they pay tuition. Thank you for the advice. I really enjoyed your lecture. It is my favorite one thus far. I can be so very difficult to manage an adult classroom. Your tips were extremely helpful and I took them to heart.
Angela, music is so individualistic and personal that I would recommend staying with the headphones. It only takes one student to upset the balance of freedom in the classroom and I have at times informed some students that they do not want to be the one responsible for taking away the privilege for all students. Some students feel that because they pay a tuition that they get to make the rules so there are times when you tactfully need to let them know that their tuition dollars pay for the PRIVILEGE to attend the school and they are not allowed to make their own policies. This "hard love" approach is just sometimes needed with those students that feel a sense of entitlement.
James Jackson
I allow students to listen to music later in the day when we are working on practical tasks. Recently, instead of listening to what the group is, students put both ear buds in and crank it up where they cannot hear me or any instructional videos I'm playing. I will go by and tap them on the shoulder and quietly let them know they must be able to hear me at all times. That works for a while, sometimes until the next day. I have one that gets upset with me and to tune me out she consistently does this. I'm going to use the meet me in my office after class technique and address it with her. Do you have any other suggestions to handle this problem? I'd hate to rule out music all together. I understand they might not like the type of music playing through out the class.
Brian, good job. Have you ever made use of the silent treatment? Sometimes a little silence can be more of a deterrent than other forms of confrontation.
James Jackson
Usually I will just tell them it's difficult for everyone to hear me if others are talking. They usually get the hint. If not, I'll change my tone of voice to something a bit more firm. Since I generally am pretty easy going with my students when I invoke a serious tone it usually has the desired effect. Lastly, I remind them often (in a humorous way) how easy it is to see that they are texting with their phone in their lap, and I tell them it is disrespectful and rude. Appealing to their manners seems to have a greater effect than telling them they are disrupting the class.
Kevin, do you make use of any security videos or case studies that drill home the importance of safety and the consequences? Sometimes these videos can really be inspirational and can provide some level of shock value to ensure you have their attention.
James Jackson
Ziaul, have you ever addressed such behaviors on the first day of class as a "Lessons Learned" from prior courses? This can be a very effective approach to let students know before they act out on any inappropriate behavior.
James Jackson
Brian, what are some of the techniques you use to bring to the student's attention they are being unruly or not behaving appropriately? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
At my facility we are to be certain students are safe in the lab environment. So making certain that the proper eye protection and boots are worn is mandatory. I encourage my students to be prepared, if they are not, they are well aware of the rules and repercussions.
Discipline is the life of a class.
The "see me after class" is a effective approach and helps me a lot.
I too find myself stopping in mid-lecture. Other students will begin asking the talker to be quiet. I interject that the material is important and it is up to each individual student to ensure they are able to hear what is being said. This action usually stops the student that has not had me before and the behavior won't happen again.
I will often address unruly or rude behavior by gently portraying to the student that their conduct is immature or something that we would expect to see in high school. I inject a little humor as to not embarrass the student.
Angela, outstanding leadership by example. In the business world there is a saying to be fair but firm and I feel this applies to teaching as well.
James Jackson
I have stopped talking before and waited for those talking or distracted to figure out what was going on. This usually didn't take but a few seconds. I have also sent students messages through our computer program to stop texting and put phone away. Only once did I have to demand a student leave my class if she did not go speak with an administrator about her behavior. She did leave the class and not return. The next class session and every session afterwards she was never a problem. I think she realized that I was not going to accept her rude behavior.
That seems to be my biggest problem also. It seems that Cell phones are always in their hands, no matter how often you remind them that they are not allowed in the classroom!. any hints on how I an handle this gracefully will be gratefully appreciated. I know the cell phones is a generational thing especially with the 20-30 year olds but it is very rude to see a student checking their cell in the middle of my lecture
Virginia, great post and thanks for sharing. Just goes to show the importance of acting quickly on your classroom rules. The real critical issue here is making sure all students are aware of the policies and the consequences. You never want a student to have a legitimate complaint that they did not know the rules. In some classrooms students even sign documents of understanding. These are not contracts but simply a document stating they understand the rules and the consequences of the classroom.
James Jackson
I did not address the situation immediately when a student was disruptive in class. It caused the other students to be concerned that I would not be effective in managing the classroom thus threatening success in learning and completing objectives of the course. The students in this situation, did approach me and let me know that if not addressed, they would continue up the Chain-of-Command.
Never did I do this again.
