I teach higher education students, and they are all adult learners. For the most part, they do not require behavioral interventions because they are mature enough to be responsible, respectful students in my classes. However, I have experienced bullying from several of my University of Utah students because they wanted me to change their grades to full credit even when they did not earn the full credit. This became disruptive during class two weeks ago when they got no credit for not posting to the online discussion required the day before lecture each week. Two women threw a fit during lecture, and this was especially annoying because my faculty supervisor for the course was in the room.
One student was very obnoxious, and she would not let me move on with lecture while she yelled about her bad grade while I was trying to get through lecture. The second student then chimed in; this second student has been a bully and belligerent for several weeks. Despite being 5 feet 0 inches and very pregnant, she was very mean. She has not bothered to turn in assignments on time, yet she demanded full credit for late work. I cannot give full credit for late work because it is not fair to those students who worked really hard to get their assignments in on time. I have stood my ground for several weeks regarding her demands.
Well, the first protestor apologized by email last week during Spring break. Of course, she did this because she wanted something from me. I let her know with my email reply that her behavior was unacceptable and would not be allowed again. I then proceeded to answer her questions.
The second little bully in class never contacted me. She has had a weekly set of demands and disrespect toward me, so I was not surprised. So I decided to talk to her before class this week. I had never done anything like this before, so I had to muster up some serious courage. Well, when she came in I was working up the courage to talk to her when another student asked me over to help her. When that was over, I walked over to the little bully and asked to talk to her out in the hall.
Luckily, the hall was vacant so I was able to proceed with my warning for her. I let her know that her weekly bullying about grades is no longer acceptable, and her behavior had become disruptive during class. That in-class disruptive and belligerent behavior is completely unacceptable and will NOT be accepted in the future. I told her that if she showed me disrespect again, if she acted belligerent in class again, or if she fought and tried to bully me again, I would ask her to leave class for the day and she would receive a 0 on the day’s assignment. That is when she woke up and started stammering and finally apologized.
This should never have to happen with mature college students. There are University rules for classroom decorum, and our students should show respect to the professor chosen to teach and evaluate their learning. I can see disagreeing with a grade during the early part of the semester, but very soon after the student should learn how grading is done in the class and should then change his/her ways for subsequent assignments. That is what I always do with a new professor for me, and this skill is imperative to success in college. Maybe these girls have not learned that time honored skill of respecting the professor and learning about the professor’s teaching style. Instead, they must have gone through the first couple of years in college bullying for better grades. I suspect many professors folded and gave them what they want. I wish all professors would hold fast to their decisions and not fold to pressure from bully students.
