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

[backatit]

Yes, I have post-its on my bathroom mirror to remind me not to engage. I went to therapy once to deal with a particular student (this student was making me, my chair, and my dean a bit stressed, and it was getting to me). I asked for some help developing better coping skills through our EAP program, and it really helped. I started setting better boundaries, and limited this student's ability to engage with me, and they actually started behaving better. It wasn't a success story (the whole thing eventually blew up into a real mess and it was STILL very stressful) but I learned a lot from the encounter. This was earlier in my teaching career, and I still have some of the post-its up (I have rewritten them). Mine are about not responding to emails for 24 hours (to give me time to formulate a reply in word and to cool down) and not checking e-mail at all during evenings and weekends. That doesn't mean I don't WORK during those hours, unfortunately, but those are no-email times for me.

[Caracal]

We all have had problem students at one time or another, or will. If students challenge, they can appeal using the process outlined by the institution. If they become disruptive, I'll defuse the situation, or might even end class early. I would then get the chair and student affairs involved to make sure the student will be banned from class or has to meet with someone higher than me regarding their behavior.

I've never had to take it to a dean, but I have met with students privately and tell them I don't care what they think of me, but they won't disrupt my class again.

Yes, troublesome students often want to make things personal. Like a lot of us, they want to focus their frustration on a particular person. You can keep a lot of problems from developing if you just refuse to engage on those terms. Don't lecture students about their behavior, just explain what the policy is. Even when you are frustrated or insulted by a student, try to keep your tone polite and matter of fact. Explain the policy and why you can't make an exception to it. I try to be friendly and approachable in the classroom, but essentially the more a student is being unpleasant, the more I try to become a distantly polite robot in the interaction.

[Aster]

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

+1

[hamburger]

Thank you all of you for all the good suggestions.

We just had a programming lab. A student kept asking me what he was supposed to do in the lab. I asked him to read the lab question sheet a few times but he refused to pull it out from the website. Many students did not have the question sheet in front of them too. He said that he took the course three times already so he "remembered" the questions. I asked him why he asked me what he was supposed to do then. For the first question, he had to convert something from Type A to Type B. In his program, he wrote a function with a name Convert_TypeB_To_TypeA !  Even the code is in the lecture note I taught last week, nobody knew. It means that they did not study.

The lab is very stressful. Students are un-prepared so they all needed my help. I had to run around in a big room without a break for two hours. I don't know why this CC has no lab assistant for large classes. I always feel very tired after the lab. What is the best way to deal with such situation? In the past, a colleague suggested walking in the same route line by line to reduce the stress.

Is it normal for the lecture time to be 2 hours these days? When I was a student, it was like 50 minutes/lecture with a 10 minutes break in between classes. Here we only have a 5-minute break in between classes and we often have to run from one building to the next. A colleague mentioned that by shortening the break time, the college gain one more timeslot for classes to earn more money.

Any of you developed high blood pressure after you have become a professor? I have.

[hamburger]

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.

I sometimes make signs for myself that I post in a personal space at home to remind myself why I'm spending extra time and energy to get a new job.

Possible examples:

   New job == No more students at <CC>

   Network today for a student-free future!

   What am I doing today that will get me a new job elsewhere?

   Study hard at boot camp and schmooze because my new job depends on it.

   Suck it up and kiss all the ass presented to get the new job.

Thanks. So the world has changed? Even at universities, students these days behave similarly than those in my CC but perhaps a bit better?

I know a senior professor teaching at a local university. He told me that to get more students, his university decided to lower the entrance requirements.

[Caracal]

Is it normal for the lecture time to be 2 hours these days? When I was a student, it was like 50 minutes/lecture with a 10 minutes break in between classes. Here we only have a 5-minute break in between classes and we often have to run from one building to the next.

Thanks. So the world has changed? Even at universities, students these days behave similarly than those in my CC but perhaps a bit better?

Five minutes? That's absurd. We have 15 minutes. Most of my classes are no more than a couple minutes walk from each other, but I've had ones that were ten minutes away before and the same is true for students. I always wait for a minute after class so if anyone has a question, I can talk to them.
Add in a few minutes for a bathroom pit stop if needed and then a couple of minutes to set up powerpoint and that doesn't leave much time. Even if you're making it to class in five minutes, hustling into class, and frantically setting everything up right before you need to start doesn't tend to put you in the best frame of mind for teaching.

Just seems like another example of your school having limited concern for students and teachers. And no, I don't really think any of this is normal. I've had some irritating students over the years, but I've never been openly challenged in the ways you describe.

[Ruralguy]

Perhaps the world has changed in some way, but also, perhaps, you are just more aware of the world that has always been there without you in it.

For instance, when I was in grad school (late 80's to early 90's), the professors constantly complained about how horrible the grad students were and the even their undergrads were better. And now in 2020, I frequently see posts of a similar nature regarding terrible grad students. So, are grad students getting worse? Or is there always a group of overachieving faculty who are disappointed that that the grad students don't match their level of enthusiasm, knowledge base, etc.. ?

Same with OP's regard for current undergrads. Yeah, maybe some are just worse, and maybe their is a collective slow slide over the world of undergrads getting worse, but also same as above: faculty are often from a different culture than their students. I mean, you can both be American (or whatever), but *you*, the faculty member, are from an elite group of high achievers who love to work and read about esoteric matters in the profession. We even like to read a bunch of non-fiction and fiction NOT related to work.  Some students might fall into that model, but a lot are just sort of existing. They realize they need a degree, so they are getting one. Some feel entitled, but a lot dont--they just want to show up and do whatever.  Some lover their major, but don't like to work.
Some decided on major by default.

My advice would be to acknowledge that students aren't mini-faculty in waiting. They have their own needs and wants. I am not saying you should give in to whimsy. Just be aware thay as a group they likely think differently than you. Maybe even ask them from time to time. Just say "oh I was just reading about...oh, do you guys read about this stuff?"

[Ruralguy]

It is very common in intro level labs (or even not intro level) to be running around answering questions or sitting down and having them come to you. Either way, you tend to get a lot of procedural questions. I also feel tired after labs.

That's normal. At my school sometimes labs (science labs) can be 2.5 hours. Lectures can be 50 minutes to about 80 minutes.

[Aster]

Is it normal for the lecture time to be 2 hours these days? When I was a student, it was like 50 minutes/lecture with a 10 minutes break in between classes. Here we only have a 5-minute break in between classes and we often have to run from one building to the next. A colleague mentioned that by shortening the break time, the college gain one more timeslot for classes to earn more money.

Smaller, traditional 50-minute classroom sessions will obviously maintain student concentration and overall academic performance better than longer 1.25+ hour classroom sessions.

The longer classroom sessions are a sign of an institution's reconciliation with critical classroom space shortages and enhanced focus on nontraditional, non-residential, working students.

The 50-minute, three-times-per-week courses are slowly dwindling at many U.S. colleges, but most especially at the commuter open-enrollment institutions. It's just too hard to get students to come to campus three times a week when they're working 40+ hours a week. Some argue that twice a week is too hard for students, or coming to campus at all.

It sounds like your college is pretty "normal" in this regard. It's not a good thing for educational quality to shift to longer, more infrequent class times, but at least your college is getting enough student enrollments that your administration is trying to squeeze more classroom offerings out of your existing facilities. Keeping the lights on and employees paid is a good thing.

[clean]

The 50-minute, three-times-per-week courses are slowly dwindling at many U.S. colleges, but most especially at the commuter open-enrollment institutions. It's just too hard to get students to come to campus three times a week when they're working 40+ hours a week. Some argue that twice a week is too hard for students, or coming to campus at all.

We have requirements when scheduling that a decent percentage (that I can not now remember) of all classes are MWF from 8 to 1.  Those are the 50 minute classes.  There are also requirements that 10% of all classes in a discipline must be in the first 2 time slots.  (which pisses me off, because we do NOT get credit for teaching at night! So the department has to staff the late and MBA classes and still have others teaching at 8 or 9 am!)

We are (or at least we were until the last 2 years) a growing campus.  We were quickly running out of building space, and the formula used by the state to justify financing new buildings looked at the utilization throughout the day.  The legislature doesnt care if you are out of space at "prime time" they want to see that you are full ALL DAY.  IF you have only MW or TTh classes, then you wont qualify for a building because they are empty on Fridays.

They also include in the formula how full the classes are, so if a small class is in a large room, then the formula punishes you too.

Anyway, I have been at this university for over 15 years and I have yet to have a schedule that did not include nights!  I am positive that I did NOT go to PHD school to work the Night Shift!!  I, for one, have NEVER taught 'bankers' hours!' 

BUT I agree that 5  minutes between classes is insane!  I was in class yesterday 15 minutes after class ended answering questions!! 

[hamburger]

Is it normal for the lecture time to be 2 hours these days? When I was a student, it was like 50 minutes/lecture with a 10 minutes break in between classes. Here we only have a 5-minute break in between classes and we often have to run from one building to the next. A colleague mentioned that by shortening the break time, the college gain one more timeslot for classes to earn more money.

Smaller, traditional 50-minute classroom sessions will obviously maintain student concentration and overall academic performance better than longer 1.25+ hour classroom sessions.

The longer classroom sessions are a sign of an institution's reconciliation with critical classroom space shortages and enhanced focus on nontraditional, non-residential, working students.

The 50-minute, three-times-per-week courses are slowly dwindling at many U.S. colleges, but most especially at the commuter open-enrollment institutions. It's just too hard to get students to come to campus three times a week when they're working 40+ hours a week. Some argue that twice a week is too hard for students, or coming to campus at all.

It sounds like your college is pretty "normal" in this regard. It's not a good thing for educational quality to shift to longer, more infrequent class times, but at least your college is getting enough student enrollments that your administration is trying to squeeze more classroom offerings out of your existing facilities. Keeping the lights on and employees paid is a good thing.

Last year I went to some classes and labs taught by several colleagues to observe their teaching. Except for one senior colleague who is FT and has health issue, the rest (part-timers) just kept talking and talking non-stop without taking a break.

In one semester, I was asked to cover for a guy who suddenly resigned in the middle of the semester. I had three 2-hour classes in a row with a 5-minute break in between classes held at different buildings. The department does not care about the well-being of the professors. Doing that did not earn me any points as after helping them, they did not even invite me for an interview of the many jobs I applied.

[Aster]

We are (or at least we were until the last 2 years) a growing campus.  We were quickly running out of building space, and the formula used by the state to justify financing new buildings looked at the utilization throughout the day.  The legislature doesnt care if you are out of space at "prime time" they want to see that you are full ALL DAY.  IF you have only MW or TTh classes, then you wont qualify for a building because they are empty on Fridays.

They also include in the formula how full the classes are, so if a small class is in a large room, then the formula punishes you too.

Yes. This is a good example of an anti-education state legislature. They just want to be a-holes and not fund colleges and college educations properly.

But it can also be an example of just an ignorant body. We have such ignorance in abundance at Big Urban State College, where *our own college leaders* also use a similar and also inaccurate calculation of classroom usage.

We have 100% classroom usage during Monday-Thursday peak hours, but not in late afternoons or evenings. So the solution from our idiot leaders is that we need more afternoon/evening classes. Heck, the solution is to add Friday and Saturday classes. We've even thrown in 8am classes.

The results of all of these innovations have been exactly as an experienced educator expects. Sure, you can add those non-peak-demand courses, but you're not going to get much more enrollment out of them (or any enrollment out of them). And that's because duh! they're not peak-demand student time slots.

And after a few years of this "innovative scheduling" now its biting us hard in the butt. We've greatly overextended our non-peak class offerings so much that we're actually *losing money* with it. Too many non-peak classes are regularly cancelled for insufficient enrollment, or they're kept open but have less than 12 students in them.

[Caracal]

We are (or at least we were until the last 2 years) a growing campus.  We were quickly running out of building space, and the formula used by the state to justify financing new buildings looked at the utilization throughout the day.  The legislature doesnt care if you are out of space at "prime time" they want to see that you are full ALL DAY.  IF you have only MW or TTh classes, then you wont qualify for a building because they are empty on Fridays.

They also include in the formula how full the classes are, so if a small class is in a large room, then the formula punishes you too.

Yes. This is a good example of an anti-education state legislature. They just want to be a-holes and not fund colleges and college educations properly.

But it can also be an example of just an ignorant body. We have such ignorance in abundance at Big Urban State College, where *our own college leaders* also use a similar and also inaccurate calculation of classroom usage.

We have 100% classroom usage during Monday-Thursday peak hours, but not in late afternoons or evenings. So the solution from our idiot leaders is that we need more afternoon/evening classes. Heck, the solution is to add Friday and Saturday classes. We've even thrown in 8am classes.

The results of all of these innovations have been exactly as an experienced educator expects. Sure, you can add those non-peak-demand courses, but you're not going to get much more enrollment out of them (or any enrollment out of them). And that's because duh! they're not peak-demand student time slots.

And after a few years of this "innovative scheduling" now its biting us hard in the butt. We've greatly overextended our non-peak class offerings so much that we're actually *losing money* with it. Too many non-peak classes are regularly cancelled for insufficient enrollment, or they're kept open but have less than 12 students in them.

Yeah, same issue has happened at my campus. I think there's this idea out there that night classes are ideal for older students who are working, but when I've taught those classes, they don't have tend to have older students in them. If anything, I think I have more non-traditional students in other classes. If you have a job and kids, a class that starts at seven and ends at 945 is actually really tough.

[ciao_yall]

We are (or at least we were until the last 2 years) a growing campus.  We were quickly running out of building space, and the formula used by the state to justify financing new buildings looked at the utilization throughout the day.  The legislature doesnt care if you are out of space at "prime time" they want to see that you are full ALL DAY.  IF you have only MW or TTh classes, then you wont qualify for a building because they are empty on Fridays.

They also include in the formula how full the classes are, so if a small class is in a large room, then the formula punishes you too.

Yes. This is a good example of an anti-education state legislature. They just want to be a-holes and not fund colleges and college educations properly.

But it can also be an example of just an ignorant body. We have such ignorance in abundance at Big Urban State College, where *our own college leaders* also use a similar and also inaccurate calculation of classroom usage.

We have 100% classroom usage during Monday-Thursday peak hours, but not in late afternoons or evenings. So the solution from our idiot leaders is that we need more afternoon/evening classes. Heck, the solution is to add Friday and Saturday classes. We've even thrown in 8am classes.

The results of all of these innovations have been exactly as an experienced educator expects. Sure, you can add those non-peak-demand courses, but you're not going to get much more enrollment out of them (or any enrollment out of them). And that's because duh! they're not peak-demand student time slots.

And after a few years of this "innovative scheduling" now its biting us hard in the butt. We've greatly overextended our non-peak class offerings so much that we're actually *losing money* with it. Too many non-peak classes are regularly cancelled for insufficient enrollment, or they're kept open but have less than 12 students in them.

Yeah, same issue has happened at my campus. I think there's this idea out there that night classes are ideal for older students who are working, but when I've taught those classes, they don't have tend to have older students in them. If anything, I think I have more non-traditional students in other classes. If you have a job and kids, a class that starts at seven and ends at 945 is actually really tough.

Yes. Our college's plans to grow enrollment (at zero incremental cost!) include...

• Scheduling more classes between 2-5 PM because classrooms are empty. What's up with that?
• More online classes, because online classes are zero work for the student. Really, none at all. So if they have families and jobs they can... log into their class and do their homework while their kids are running around screaming, or while they are at work. Easy peasy!

[Wahoo Redux]

In one semester, I was asked to cover for a guy who suddenly resigned in the middle of the semester. I had three 2-hour classes in a row with a 5-minute break in between classes held at different buildings. The department does not care about the well-being of the professors. Doing that did not earn me any points as after helping them, they did not even invite me for an interview of the many jobs I applied.

I've had similar experiences.  My job right now completely overwhelms me.  I, like you, agreed to take on a pretty heavy load----5 classes and 4 preps----because of shortages in teachers for various reasons.  I am hanging on by a thread (and should not now be using precious time to post).

But I have to say that we allow our unis to give us these schedules.  The reason universities can use us up and then come back for more is that the adjunct world allows it.  I was lucky and it eventually paid off in a FT NTT job.  Monetarily and career-future-wise, however, I am a sucker.