Job Discussion Forums

[JustinC]

Maybe not relevant, maybe so.

I have several classes where some students are more vocal than the rest of their peers. I asked one loud individual who they were talking to, as they were surely only speaking to a friend next to them, but why they were stopping me being heard when we were so far apart? I asked them why they had to shout at their friend who was next to them and disrupt my class.

It was Friday and the last lesson, so we were both tired. I may have overreacted.

I have a video clip of Dom Joly, a very dry English comic, being very loud using an over-sized mobile phone, and the class was about telephone conversations. So I introduced the clip as how you shouldn't act in various environments. He became very quiet during and after the clip, and I think the rest of the class were a bit relieved. Or maybe they were relieved my point was made without him being disrespected, it's a boarding school.

[artemisia]

Ha! Like the clip of Dom Joly in the library, too! Being indirect (though still sort of obvious) like this might be the way to go, especially if this student is genuinely hostile. It sounds like he is if he's taking it into another class.

Dealing with real antagonism sure isn�t the same as someone being an annoying smartass. Handling it head-on doesn�t usually work IME. If this is the case, I think it's highly unlikely it was 'caused' by a teacher simply not knowing something about technology. I�d follow some the advice given on this thread - ignore the behaviour and see if it goes away. A bland and uninterested expression might do it, as TIR mentioned. Otherwise planning lessons around politeness language and cultural expectations around how people deal with one another could be effective - and it's always relevant to business people.