Letter from Chicago

Abstract

I recently had a conversation with a colleague about students who make rude comments in class. Many of us in higher education have experienced a student's inappropriately disparaging comment like ‘This is boring/stupid/worthless/a waste of time/you fill in the blank.’ I remember how shocked I felt the first time this happened to me. ‘Jack’ walked into class 10 minutes late, dropped into a desk in the back of the room and let out an audible yawn. That was the extent of his participation in class that day. He promptly leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. Frankly, I'm surprised he didn't start snoring. A few minutes later, after I instructed the class to read a short text individually, I tapped Jack on the shoulder. Startled, he looked at me with what can only be described as a glare. Five minutes later, his head was down on his desk, eyes closed. I woke him up again and his response was, ‘But English classes are so boring. They're a waste of time. I'm just stuck here until I pass the TOEFL.’

Unfortunately, I've now come to expect a few of these comments to crop up every semester. At the risk of sounding like an uncaring teacher, I'll admit to sometimes writing these students off, letting them make their own choices, even if that results in failing the class. However, in my more patient moments, I try to reason with the student. Occasionally I've even asked a student for some practical suggestions to improve the class. But I always wonder, is this really my responsibility? After all, I'm their teacher, not their mother.