One of the students in my Advanced class is what I call a "limpet" - i.e. he stickes to you and is impossible to shake off. He has a tendency to buttonhole me (and other colleagues) after the class and regale me with obscure questions about grammar.
What makes this particularly irritating is that (a) he's often found the answer to his question in his book anyway, and (b) my answer never seem to satisfy him and I get drawn into pointless conversations. We only get 30 minutes between classes so if he eats up 10 minutes of my break I don't get a moment to put my feet up, have a coffee and generally compose myself before taking the next group. He may be well meaning but I feel like telling him to feck off and leave me alone. I wouldn't mind if he only did it occasionally but I get it almost every single day.
Any tips for dealing with him without risking a prison sentence?
Limpets
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
-
fluffyhamster
- Posts: 3031
- Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 6:57 pm
- Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
If you told him what you've told us, how do you think he'd react? Would he empathize, or would he go running to your bosses and start bleating about getting some TLC and attention both within and OUTSIDE the classroom too? (Not sure if you have quite the kind of (accountability to) bosses that private language school teachers have, lol, you work in FE, right? Tricky...some might argue that you have more of a break than such teachers in which to humour students! I mean, 30 minutes!!! Try 10! 
).
).-
fluffyhamster
- Posts: 3031
- Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 6:57 pm
- Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
Hmm, so the advice offered for the similar student you had before didn't work/won't work again, lol?
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... php?t=2884
Ultimately though I'd just tell him that you have to prepare for other classes, and that his preventing you from doing so is doing not only you but those later students a disservice (i.e. being a bit selfish and inconsiderate).
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... php?t=2884
Ultimately though I'd just tell him that you have to prepare for other classes, and that his preventing you from doing so is doing not only you but those later students a disservice (i.e. being a bit selfish and inconsiderate).
Last edited by fluffyhamster on Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Actually, the student in that thread was taking up class time, not break time. 
But the last suggestion in that thread, about putting the question in writing, was an interesting one. You can always say you don't have time right then, but you'd be happy to read whatever the student would like to write before the next class period. At least making the student spend some time on it might make you feel better.
But the last suggestion in that thread, about putting the question in writing, was an interesting one. You can always say you don't have time right then, but you'd be happy to read whatever the student would like to write before the next class period. At least making the student spend some time on it might make you feel better. Remebering is Reptetition
Good morning all!
I'm glad Lorikeet brought this subject up again, and reading through the posts (and later I'll read that older thread on a similar problem) has reminded me of this phenomena that I will probably have to face in the next weeks, as I begin an adult intensive oral course of 90 hours on Monday and it is in those courses where I also find myself with one of those people who on the one hand take their English study very seriously which is wonderful and on the other hand ask the strangest questions, usually the hardest ones to answer and often dealing with details that weren't taken into consideration when preparing the day's work.
And this has given me an idea for one of my cork-boards that has ended up empty of the kids' drawings and essays as the younger ones are on the point of beginning vacations and won't be coming to English class for a couple of months. I'm going to make a nice title, something like "Our Doubts". I'll photocopy a little form that any student with a doubt can fill in, much the way we present our questions, suggestions, answers here on the message board and leave them hanging on the board. In the first class I will explain that students with particular doubts that are from their study outside of class should leave them posted there, and that I will dedicate about a quarter of an hour to them at some point in the class, offering in this way the information to all of the students at once, as some of these doubts are shared by more than one student, as obscure as the can sometimes be.
Maybe I'll clear the other cork board so that they can post other things related to the class, like what was the most difficult point you have had to face this week in class, or did you have a revelation about English this week, or what exercise did you enjoy/find most helpful/most useless this week, aslo with a form to fill out. Hmmm, I like both of those ideas and I thank you all for contributing by getting my grey matter to palpitate this morning.
peace,
revel.
I'm glad Lorikeet brought this subject up again, and reading through the posts (and later I'll read that older thread on a similar problem) has reminded me of this phenomena that I will probably have to face in the next weeks, as I begin an adult intensive oral course of 90 hours on Monday and it is in those courses where I also find myself with one of those people who on the one hand take their English study very seriously which is wonderful and on the other hand ask the strangest questions, usually the hardest ones to answer and often dealing with details that weren't taken into consideration when preparing the day's work.
And this has given me an idea for one of my cork-boards that has ended up empty of the kids' drawings and essays as the younger ones are on the point of beginning vacations and won't be coming to English class for a couple of months. I'm going to make a nice title, something like "Our Doubts". I'll photocopy a little form that any student with a doubt can fill in, much the way we present our questions, suggestions, answers here on the message board and leave them hanging on the board. In the first class I will explain that students with particular doubts that are from their study outside of class should leave them posted there, and that I will dedicate about a quarter of an hour to them at some point in the class, offering in this way the information to all of the students at once, as some of these doubts are shared by more than one student, as obscure as the can sometimes be.
Maybe I'll clear the other cork board so that they can post other things related to the class, like what was the most difficult point you have had to face this week in class, or did you have a revelation about English this week, or what exercise did you enjoy/find most helpful/most useless this week, aslo with a form to fill out. Hmmm, I like both of those ideas and I thank you all for contributing by getting my grey matter to palpitate this morning.
peace,
revel.
I know I could be risking a complaint unless I were to be extremely diplomatic, but regardless of how long the breaks are, a student who takes up 10 minutes of your time every day is effectively getting over an hour's free one-to-one tuition every week. He only gets away with it because there are no other students in the class with his attitude. What if 5 or 6 students did this instead of just the one?
Shouldn't students who want private classes have to pay for them like everyone else? By indulging the guy, aren't I laying myself open to accusations of favouritism?
Shouldn't students who want private classes have to pay for them like everyone else? By indulging the guy, aren't I laying myself open to accusations of favouritism?
-
Sally Olsen
- Posts: 1322
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Canada,France, Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Greenland, Canada, Mongolia, Ethiopia next
I think you have hit the nail on the head. He might just be trying to get free and personal lesson time. But unless you ask him, you will never truly know. He might want to be friends or might not get along with others in the class and so have nothing to do in the breaks. Next time he comes up, ask him the question instead of answering and then work with him to solve the problem if there is one. If he really wants extra lessons refer him to someone who does that. If he want to be friends, consider if you want to meet him after school. If he isn't making friends in the class, discuss ways he could do that or refer him to the counselor. I like to make the students think about their responsibilities to others in the class and what they can do to help out and what they are doing that is not helping. It would also be interesting to just write down his questions in a special part of your notebook and say that you will consider taking them up in class at the end of the topic if the other students feel they are valuable. If he is just looking for attention, make time for that in some way, even if it is just a genuine smile of welcome in the morning or a short talk to him as the others do their work. I used to give my elementary students notes in their desks and made sure everyone had a turn to get some recognition (you sat so nicely today, your drawing was excellent) but I am not sure how adults would interpret notes from a teacher. It is hard to walk the line between encouraging and praise and what some people might think of as too personal comments. If you keep it on topic of their work though it should be OK.