Dealing with Problem Students
Difficult
Behaviors in the Classroom
Possible
responses for the difficult behaviors in the classroom
Problem
Situations (PDF file)
Occasionally,
special problems enter the teaching arena. Among these are teacher-student
conflict, sexual harassment, and academic misconduct. Preventing problems
from occurring, being aware of university and department polices, behaving
in accordance with them, and knowing how to find support services to
assist are the keys to action under problem circumstances.
Unprepared
Students
As
teaching assistants and faculty members, we have all experienced the
frustration of having students come to class unprepared. In desperation,
I was considering remedying the situation by administrating pop-quizzes.
Dealing with Test Anxiety
Here's
one way I apply this concept to helping students with test anxiety:
I ask scared students, "What is it about the test that creates
your anxiety? Is it the test...or is it your judgment of the situation?
Or is it your judgment of yourself? What if you could revise your judgment?"
I tell them that I usually did well on tests in school partly because
my "judgment" was: "I can't wait to find out how much
I know about this stuff."
Handling Disruptive Students
The
following is a memo from the Faculty Senate Chair at Cuyahoga Community
College (OH) suggesting ways for faculty members to handle disruptive
students.
Handling Disruptive Students
Do
you know how to prevent disruptive behavior in class, and have different
strategies for dealing with it when it occurs? Teachers frequently experience
various forms of disruptive student behavior, from irritating but relatively
minor problems of coming late to class and/or talking during class,
to more serious problems, like openly challenging the authority of the
teacher.
Dealing with Problem Students
Many
undergraduate students find various aspects of university life stressful;
and some experience circumstances or personal difficulties that lead
to noticeable distress. Perhaps because they see the TA as familiar
and approachable, some students will express their concerns to you.
Students in Distress
In
addition to the students who express their concerns directly to you,
there may be others whom you notice in distress or difficulty. In some
cases you may be the first or only University employee to do so. For
example, the student may look depressed, or become overly emotional
about some minor event, or act very differently than is characteristic
for her or him.
Student
Expectations
Sitting
in on a class given by another TA may provide helpful insight on how
students and TAs act and interact. Discuss your concerns about your
teaching with your supervisor, your fellow TAs, or with the Office of
Instructional Development and Technology
Dealing
with Grade Disputes
For
students, grades are equivalent to pay checks. They have a right, not
only to be graded fairly, but also to know why they have been given
a certain grade. You must be willing to explain exactly why you gave
the grade you did.
All In A Day's Work
We
sometimes present this scenario in our teaching workshops and ask the
participants to brainstorm possible responses to any of these behaviors—not
just good responses, but good, questionable, and terrible responses.
Tips & Tricks for "Problem Students"
Some useful hints, tips and tricks for dealing with “problem students” of all kinds.
Tips & Tricks for "Problem Students" - The Sequel
