For obvious reasons I'm being anonymous here, although I've commented under my real identity before.
Angry Professor and readers, I apologize. I'm engaging in topic hijacking. But I need your collective wisdom here.
Bear with me as I give you a little background, before I ask for your advice.
I'm a graduate student at a private university in a program for working professionals leading to a Master's in Education. Some of the students are on an M.Ed +credential track, some are on an M.Ed. + certificate track, and others are undecided. Classes are held in the evening. The program is designed to be part-time .
All of the students are over 21, and most of us are over 30.
I share two classes with one student, "Gerry", who is well into the 40s if not older.
Gerry frequently arrives 5-10 minutes late for class (most of us arrive before class) and interrupts the instructors; does not follow class norms for comments (that is, does not signal by a raised hand a desire to comment) and so on. (The instructor in this class is particularly inept in regulating discussion.)
Last night Gerry was unusually obstreperous and kept blurting comments that were only vaguely on-topic. I happened to be sitting in the next seat; Gerry (I thought) smelled of alcohol. I asked Anna, one of my other classmates, to check my perceptions -- Anna thought that Gerry's breath smelled strongly of gin. Gerry's speech became progressively more slurred.
After class, Anna and I, and two others, had a huddle in the parking lot. What if anything should we do? Talk to the instructor? Talk to the director of the program? Document what happened last night, and do nothing until Gerry shows up drunk again?
Any other suggestions?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
In which a reader asks a question.
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12 comments:
I'm just a former high school teacher now mom, but at my college, that's the sort of thing the instructor had to know about. I'd let the instructor know and see what happens. If nothing happens, then I'd talk with the program director about it. If he can't keep from drinking before class, I wouldn't trust him not to drink before class when he's the teacher.
My high school choir teacher was a known alcoholic--well, the kids knew. Somehow, the other teachers and principal never knew until she retired. That woman was unstable to put it mildly, and there were many times she made questionable decisions (i.e. throwing things at students). I'd hate to think what he would be like drunk in the classroom.
I've been the professor with the hard-to-control student. If the prof doesn't get on him right away, it's hard to start. I think you should talk to the professor and mention your concerns about how this person is disrupting yours and your classmates' concentration (not necessarily specifically about alcohol, but about disruption). I have found that it can also be very effective if the student hears from another student: "Please raise your hand before talking so we can all get a chance," or whatever. It's a tough situation and it's not your fault, but you may be able to help fix it. Sorry you're in it!
Talk to the instructor first and assure him of your support for any measures he takes to end the disruption.
One reason why instructors often dont interfere aggressively is that the use of power can easily backfire on them. (This is one reasons profs often don't shut up obnoxious students--because the students will always identifiy with each other more than they will feel that they need to deal with a problem). If we stamp on a student, we risk that the other students think "when will she do that to me?" and this perception can take a class south quickly. If the instructors knows you wish something done, it will enable him to act more confidently and powerfully.
It is your instructor's job to control the class environment, and you have every right to ask for this as a consumer of the course. Approach the instructor collectively, tell him you are all concerned about the problem, and that you will collectively support him in enforcing focused communication only during class time. This gives the instructor power to confront the problem as a shared issue. Then back him up!
Hey everybody. Long time listener, first time caller.
What are you upset about? The fact he's an obnoxious classmate, or that he drank a little?
The obnoxiousness you can address. Interrupt/snap at him when he interrupts and remind him to please raise his hand. Or tell him not to interrupt. Be direct. He's wasting your time and your classmates; you have a right to have a voice in how that goes.
But you need to let the drinking thing go. Would you feel differently if he was wearing a collar and just came from church (provided he was late, interruptive, and disobedient?) Don't let a stigma that he has a drink on his breath overshadow anything more than the fact he has a drink on his breath.
Grad school's hard. Especially for people working full time and taking classes on the side. You don't know him. Maybe that's just what it takes to get him through the day.
Of course, if you see him pulling from a bottle and then getting in his car, you should say something (campus police is probably a safe anonymous bet,) but otherwise, be the best student you can and don't let him get you down.
If the guy's drunk in class, how did he get there? If he's driving, Call the cops.
Seriously, though, the instructor needs to be informed and needs to be encouraged to speak to administrators with authority over students. There are subtle ways to manage discussions, but they very rarely work on people who are comfortably numb.
I think you do need to engage the instructor. When I was an undergrad (I say this like I actually pursued a higher degree.), I had a class with "Brad." Brad was a younger version of Gerry, but he had a stupid looking hair-do and mustache. We hated him.
One day, our regular TA was out sick, and a sub came in to lead the recitation session. Brad upset this TA enough that he walked out after 20 minutes. I looked the TA up in the student directory, sent him a brief note to apologize to him on behalf of the class for not throttling Brad earlier in the year, and asked him to come back if our regular TA was out.
IIRC, Brad never came back to class, and I did receive a nice response from the TA.
I say document it, and also talk to the instructor. No excuse for crazy stuff like this. Maybe your stepping in now will get this guy the help he needs, or at least get him out of your program. You folks are serious students and don't need this kind of distraction. NO EXCUSE for coming to class drunk.
the anonymous grad student here.
thanks everybody--your advice clarified my thoughts.
Dave -- Gerry is always disruptive. And the behavior was particularly noticeable with the slurred words, weaving in the seat and so on -- more than "just a drink".
The calling the cops thing occurred to me too -- but after Gerry had left the parking lot, too late to get the license number.
At least he's not like the kids at my school...they play drinking games in class.
For instance, every time our Asian English teacher says "it's an Asian thing" they take a drink. Every time the sorority girl says "like" take a drink. For every pair of ugg boots in the class room, take a drink...
It's actually kind of funny.
Since when is grad school considered and extension of the local pub?
There are rules of conduct at most schools and being drunk in class is NOT OK.
I've thrown students out of class for smelling like beer. And I would do it again.
if you are in a graduate program that is intended to prepare you for a position of responsibility (i.e. teaching, law, medicine, etc.) then y'all should definitely talk to the professor. this sounds like it has crossed the line from boorishness to being someone that has a problem.
I know it is a little bit different in law and medicine, where you have to pass a moral fitness test in order to be licensed and where there is a significant problem with alcoholism, but while it is hard to "rat someone out" for their problems, sometimes its better to make sure the administration is aware of such unacceptable behavior.
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