How to deal with student who told me that he pays for my salary?

[hamburger]

Hi, I left my previous department and moved to a new one in the same CC. Trying to find a job somewhere else while getting some salary.

Unfortunately, I got a class full of students who don't seem to have taken the pre-requisite course even they did. They don't even know the simplest things they were supposed to have learnt last semester. They not only did not prepare before going to the lab nor do their homework. They also want me to sit next to them individually and tell them the answers word by word! Some students took the same course a few times already. They told me that each time they retake the same course, the school asks them to pay more money than before.

[hamburger]

[Not sure why some sentences did not show up in the first post so I am posting the rest separately.]

A student around the 50s told me in the first class that he failed the course three times already. Then, in the 2nd class, I gave him a zero since he could not submit his assignment nor ask for help. He asked me for an extension which is not allowed in the course syllabus provided by the department. He then pointed his finger at me and said that he pays for my salary and I have to grant him an extension. He also said that he would complain to Ms. A. I have never heard of Ms A and asked him who that is. He said "your boss who gives you this job". Is that a threat? What kind of attitude is this? What is the best way to deal with this kind of people? In the first class, he also made three students left the class as he could not listen to me while they were talking.

After the incident, I reported to the department. Administrator had no idea who Ms. A is. She also asked me to uphold academic standard and let those who should not pass fail. She mentioned that companies have been complaining that students who graduated from this CC cannot do the things that they are supposed to know how to do. She told me that if students complain, just let them complain. She suggested me to treat my students as kindergarten children as they are immature and try all sorts of things to test the tolerance level of their professors.

[Ruralguy]

This is just more of same. Do what you want to do. If you want to fail them, then do so, if doing it by the syllabus and rules of college.  If you want to just give them the answers, then go ahead.

You have no love for the place and definitely not the students, so just set up the rules, follow them, and go through the motions.

If you want us to confirm that probably a lot of them are problematic students: Yeah, sounds like it.

[hamburger]

This is just more of same. Do what you want to do. If you want to fail them, then do so, if doing it by the syllabus and rules of college.  If you want to just give them the answers, then go ahead.

You have no love for the place and definitely not the students, so just set up the rules, follow them, and go through the motions.

If you want us to confirm that probably a lot of them are problematic students: Yeah, sounds like it.

Thanks. So spend the minimum amount of time on these students and don't think of them outside class. Don't even check the school emails outside the working hours and don't waste time to report them to administrator. Focus on looking for the next job outside this CC as suggested in the past.

[lightning]

[Not sure why some sentences did not show up in the first post so I am posting the rest separately.]

A student around the 50s told me in the first class that he failed the course three times already. Then, in the 2nd class, I gave him a zero since he could not submit his assignment nor ask for help. He asked me for an extension which is not allowed in the course syllabus provided by the department. He then pointed his finger at me and said that he pays for my salary and I have to grant him an extension. He also said that he would complain to Ms. A. I have never heard of Ms A and asked him who that is. He said "your boss who gives you this job". Is that a threat? What kind of attitude is this? What is the best way to deal with this kind of people? In the first class, he also made three students left the class as he could not listen to me while they were talking.

After the incident, I reported to the department. Administrator had no idea who Ms. A is. She also asked me to uphold academic standard and let those who should not pass fail. She mentioned that companies have been complaining that students who graduated from this CC cannot do the things that they are supposed to know. She told me that if students complain, just let them complain. She suggested me to treat my students as kindergarten children as they are immature and try all sorts of things to test the tolerance level of their professors.

What is the best way to deal with these kind of people? This is easy. You fling it right back at them without escalation. A simple and firm "No, you do not pay my salary" and "Complain to whomever you want to; complaining won't change your station in life."

[Parasaurolophus]

He then pointed his finger at me and said that he pays for my salary and I have to grant him an extension.

Give me a raise, then.

[Caracal]

She suggested me to treat my students as kindergarten children as they are immature and try all sorts of things to test the tolerance level of their professors.

This is bad advice, for what it is worth. If you treat people like children, they'll keep acting like children. It generally works better to expect your students to be adults and then to seem confused when they don't. I wouldn't try to argue with a student who thinks they deserve an extension because they pay your salary. You'd probably do better to just seem confused, "That's an odd thing to say. That isn't actually how this works."

[Hegemony]

Well, I think it's justified to treat them as kindergartners in that you need to stay calm and consistent. You can explain why things work the way they do, but if they refuse to agree, that's just their way of seeing if they can push back successfully on the requirements.  Assuming you hold fast, they can't. I think it's worth mentioning to them that you are paid to provide them a structure to learn the material, and if they don't adhere to the structure and don't learn the material, you register that in the grade.  You are not there to give them a specific grade. Sometimes a lightbulb goes on when it's explained that way. But of course when understanding it all means that they need to do the work, they will resist understanding it all.

[secundem_artem]

Many years ago, I got phoned at home one night by an extremely angry helicopter mom.  I had had one of those "reply all" disasters and turned out her darling baby was on the distribution list
I tried multiple times to apologize to helicopter mom  but she was not having it.  She wanted to chew me out - over and over and over.

As the conversation went on, I knew we would eventually get to the "I pay your salary mister!" part of our little talk.

So....  like a hitter waiting on the fastball he KNOWS is coming, I sat back, took her insults and anger and waited on my pitch.  Sure enough....

Helicopter mom: Listen you, I pay your salary.

Your worthy correspondent: Uh, no ma'am.  Actually the university pays my salary.

HM:  Well where do you think they get the money????

YWC: Oh, ma'am.  University budgets are really very very complicated.  For all I know, my salary dollars come out of the sale of basketball tickets.

HM:  Sputter, sputter, sputter, but, what, huh, sputter, but, but, but sputter what?.  Silence.

Our conversation ended shortly thereafter.  She kicked it all up to the dean and I was forced to write a letter of apology to her idiot kid for the lapse of judgement that started this whole fandango.  The kid transferred to the business college later that week and I never saw him again.  Not sure what happened to HM.  Writing my entirely fake apology was a small price to pay for driving one batshit crazy parent apoplectic with rage. 

Ain't I a stinker?

[mahagonny]

[Not sure why some sentences did not show up in the first post so I am posting the rest separately.]

A student around the 50s told me in the first class that he failed the course three times already. Then, in the 2nd class, I gave him a zero since he could not submit his assignment nor ask for help. He asked me for an extension which is not allowed in the course syllabus provided by the department. He then pointed his finger at me and said that he pays for my salary and I have to grant him an extension. He also said that he would complain to Ms. A. I have never heard of Ms A and asked him who that is. He said "your boss who gives you this job". Is that a threat? What kind of attitude is this? What is the best way to deal with this kind of people? In the first class, he also made three students left the class as he could not listen to me while they were talking.

How can he do this? Just curious. Is he threatening? Seems to me telling people to leave would be under your control not his. Although I'd hate to have to resort to that. Yet if they were disruptive I can't say i'd be really sad that they left. Interesting scenario.

[mahagonny]

This is just more of same. Do what you want to do. If you want to fail them, then do so, if doing it by the syllabus and rules of college.  If you want to just give them the answers, then go ahead.

You have no love for the place and definitely not the students, so just set up the rules, follow them, and go through the motions.

If you want us to confirm that probably a lot of them are problematic students: Yeah, sounds like it.

Thanks. So spend the minimum amount of time on these students and don't think of them outside class. Don't even check the school emails outside the working hours and don't waste time to report them to administrator. Focus on looking for the next job outside this CC as suggested in the past.

Yes, and look for a CC to teach at part time where you feel loved.

[tuxthepenguin]

Unfortunately, I got a class full of students who don't seem to have taken the pre-requisite course even they did. They don't even know the simplest things they were supposed to have learnt last semester.

Same thing I experience every time I have a CC transfer student in my class. I don't want to offend any CC faculty, but CC is worse than not going to college at all, because at least in that case the student doesn't think they've gotten an education. Students with a 4.0 GPA in CC don't even know the most basic things.

You're going to waste a lot of time if you try to enforce rules like deadlines for homework. Make your life easy. Don't fight this battle.

[ciao_yall]

"You pay for the right to sit in my classroom. You still have to earn your grade."

[ciao_yall]

Many years ago, I got phoned at home one night by an extremely angry helicopter mom.  I had had one of those "reply all" disasters and turned out her darling baby was on the distribution list
I tried multiple times to apologize to helicopter mom  but she was not having it.  She wanted to chew me out - over and over and over.

As the conversation went on, I knew we would eventually get to the "I pay your salary mister!" part of our little talk.

So....  like a hitter waiting on the fastball he KNOWS is coming, I sat back, took her insults and anger and waited on my pitch.  Sure enough....

Helicopter mom: Listen you, I pay your salary.

Your worthy correspondent: Uh, no ma'am.  Actually the university pays my salary.

HM:  Well where do you think they get the money????

YWC: Oh, ma'am.  University budgets are really very very complicated.  For all I know, my salary dollars come out of the sale of basketball tickets.

HM:  Sputter, sputter, sputter, but, what, huh, sputter, but, but, but sputter what?.  Silence.

Our conversation ended shortly thereafter.  She kicked it all up to the dean and I was forced to write a letter of apology to her idiot kid for the lapse of judgement that started this whole fandango.  The kid transferred to the business college later that week and I never saw him again.  Not sure what happened to HM.  Writing my entirely fake apology was a small price to pay for driving one batshit crazy parent apoplectic with rage. 

Ain't I a stinker?

Hall of Fame!

[Ruralguy]

I say that its like paying an entry fee for a race. You agree to abide by the rules and it doesn't guarantee you anything but a chance at significantly placing.