Who’s being abused?
A teacher, enforcing a previously (and apparently clearly) state rule about surfing non-class related web site during classes, “slams” a laptop closed. Unfortunately for the teacher, the students fingers were in the way. Now the teacher is in court over it, charged with assault. Here is the article.
Have things gone too far?
Got Social? 
Gently, gently, push the power button while smiling at the student.
Never, ever lose one’s temper in class. Never.
It’s not worth the risk. You know me, however; I’d prefer my old military school’s way, where I could have made students “drop and give me 50” or run laps until they collapsed.
But we live in soft times and are a soft people.
Iggy - April 18, 2011 at 11:59 am |
LOL – I would LOVE to see the look on the students face when the teacher hard reboots the computer. Although, if there is damage to the unit or loss of content, the student would still probably have filed suit. We do, my friend, live in soft times. Everyone is the exception, no rules apply to them, only to you (and me)
AJ Kelton - April 18, 2011 at 12:15 pm |
Oh, it’s not MY computer 🙂
I’d not do that except on a lab machine….for a student machine, I’d softly, softly close the lid. I have a no-laptop rule in class. Only exceptions are for notes and they MUST send me the notes or be counted as absent.
Iggy - April 18, 2011 at 2:51 pm |
See, I’m of the mind…..
Dear Student,
You paid for this class, if you don’t want to pay attention, thats your business. I’d find it very hard to think that you’d do very well in the class, if you don’t pay attention. In fact, I almost guarantee that you won’t do well if you don’t pay attention, but I’m not going to be a babysitter and tell you what to do. You’re an adult, you have to be responsible for your own decisions. If you decide not to pay attention during a class that you’d paid to be part of, thats your business. The only thing you can’t do, is distract other students. If you do, I’ll call you on it.
AJ Kelton - April 18, 2011 at 9:58 pm |
Well, I’ve two students in my theory & pedagogy class who will not be hired as writing consultants because, of all the students in the lab, they kept checking Facebook and mail after a first warning.
Of course, they are also the sort who have no prior work experience. I hope to teach them a good lesson now, before they lose a post-graduation job.
Iggy - April 19, 2011 at 8:50 am |