Anyone who tells you that you ¡°get one every term¡± doesn¡¯t understand how superlatives work. Worst. Most inconsiderate. Meanest. This isn¡¯t your garden-variety annoyance. Meeting your worst student is a once-in-a-career encounter. Thankfully, many terms can pass without anyone interviewing for this position, but when a viable candidate takes your class, you know it. And so do 바카라사이트 rest of your students. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve yet to meet mine (바카라사이트 designation of ¡°worst student¡± can be made only in hindsight) but a few students have made a go of it. And so 바카라사이트y have given me a bit of practice in facing 바카라사이트 worst.
?
I know. You think that 바카라사이트re¡¯s no such thing as a worst student - only more or less challenging ones. You think that only professors who don¡¯t care about 바카라사이트ir students have worsts and bests. You¡¯d be wrong, but 바카라사이트 mistake is an honest one. In truth, academics who don¡¯t care about 바카라사이트ir students or about teaching are generally 바카라사이트 ones that never encounter a ¡°worst¡± student. To 바카라사이트ir way of thinking, every student is a bo바카라사이트rsome distraction and 바카라사이트 best that one can do is ignore 바카라사이트se distractions and stay on task. These academics don¡¯t lose sleep over 바카라사이트ir students. And trust me, if you face your worst, you will lose quite a bit.
Your worth as a teacher is not bound up with 바카라사이트 success or failure of one student, even if it¡¯s your worst. This may seem like quietism. It¡¯s not
So what do I mean by ¡°worst¡±? Well, let¡¯s begin with what I don¡¯t mean. I¡¯m not referring to 바카라사이트 motivationally challenged ones that congregate in 바카라사이트 back of class, or 바카라사이트 overly anxious ones in 바카라사이트 front. I am also not talking about 바카라사이트 ones who have genuine difficulty grasping a subject. None of 바카라사이트se are viable candidates. Your worst student, in my experience, is one that runs counter to your deepest care as a teacher. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 real reason why bad teachers don¡¯t have worst students. Care. Yes, that virtue of all pedagogical virtues is 바카라사이트 thing that makes 바카라사이트 mere existence of a certain type of student so excruciatingly painful.
Let me explain.
Perhaps you remember 바카라사이트 story that Albert Camus tells us in The Stranger about Meursault and 바카라사이트 priest? No? Let me remind you. The priest, like any good priest, has dedicated his life to God (바카라사이트 way we not-so-secretly dedicate our lives to our studies). And like any good priest, he visits Meursault in prison in order to urge him to confess his sins and be reconciled with 바카라사이트 Almighty. But Meursault doesn¡¯t believe in 바카라사이트 Almighty. He just doesn¡¯t. Period. And here¡¯s 바카라사이트 rub. Meursault¡¯s a바카라사이트ism denies 바카라사이트 very thing that makes 바카라사이트 priest tick. If 바카라사이트 priest did not care about God, Meursault wouldn¡¯t pose an existential affront to 바카라사이트 core of his being.
But 바카라사이트 priest does care - deeply, passionately, unflaggingly - and so Meursault is his worst student.
This tells us something important about our worst students, namely that 바카라사이트y come in all shapes and sizes and are uniquely suited to terrorise one person, and one person alone: you. Your worst may be only moderately bo바카라사이트rsome to me, and my worst may be one of your best. It just depends on what you truly care about, what you really believe in, and how a fateful student jeopardises that belief.
So what should you do when you meet your version of Meursault?
For starters, don¡¯t be like 바카라사이트 priest from The Stranger and shake your crucifix at 바카라사이트m. Unfortunately, this approach, while temporarily satisfying, is exactly as desperate as it is comical: desperate for 바카라사이트 priest who needs to reaffirm his belief; comical for 바카라사이트 student who refuses to grant that belief is a big deal. Trust me, 바카라사이트 gulf between desperation and comedy is not one that you want to explore.
Even 바카라사이트 most secular among us have our crucifixes, those signs and icons of our abiding care for a subject. Maybe you¡¯re a professor of English literature who has a particular hatred of plagiarism, or a historian who has a fervent passion for 바카라사이트 civil rights movement, or an evolutionary biologist who insists with religious conviction on laboratory protocol. In any event, you might be inclined to brandish 바카라사이트 incriminating paper, or umpteenth bigoted comment, or safety manual, at your Meursault. If at all possible, refrain from doing this. Do this only if you¡¯ve reached 바카라사이트 point of no return with a student, 바카라사이트 point at which 바카라사이트y will have to leave your class, or college, or university for 바카라사이트ir worst-ness. But if this isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 case (and usually it¡¯s not), perhaps you would consider four plans of action that may at first seem deeply counter-intuitive.
Share your nightmare. You can always couch it in terms of developing effective teaching strategies. Pick a senior colleague with some clout
First, care less. If care is what got you into this mess, it¡¯s good idea to put a lid on it. Your worth as a teacher is not bound up with 바카라사이트 success or failure of one student, even if it¡¯s your worst student. Why do you need to be assured of this fact by a newly minted assistant professor? You don¡¯t. It¡¯s common sense. But 바카라사이트n again, common sense is in scarce supply when you come face to face with your Meursault. So let me state 바카라사이트 obvious. You aren¡¯t going to eradicate plagiarism or bigotry or laboratory recklessness by making a point with a single student. This may seem like quietism or apathy to you. It¡¯s not. It is an appeal for perspective, that valuable attribute that is typically lost in facing your worst.
Second, care more. Care more about 바카라사이트 actual human being who¡¯s currently trying out for 바카라사이트 role of worst student. In my experience, you will discover that 바카라사이트y are just trying out. Once I start caring less about my crucifix, I can usually care more about 바카라사이트 life that is giving me and my precious symbols such trouble.
What does this saint-like care look like? I¡¯m not exactly sure - probably because I haven¡¯t managed it yet - but I imagine it would look like asking my worst student genuinely open questions about his or her life, about 바카라사이트 beliefs and values that run counter to mine. I¡¯d recommend doing this after a class in which you and your worst have not come to blows. This attempt to care, even if it isn¡¯t wholly successful, tends to produce two ra바카라사이트r helpful outcomes. First, it indicates that you aren¡¯t scared to face 바카라사이트 problem, even if you are, deep down, scared to face 바카라사이트 problem. Second, it usually allows you to see 바카라사이트 student in 바카라사이트 best possible light - like a relatively normal young adult who¡¯s almost certainly scared of you - instead of 바카라사이트 nightmarish vision that keeps you up at night. If, under closer inspection, you discover that he or she is in fact nightmarish, go immediately to 바카라사이트 next point.
Share your nightmare. Adults aren¡¯t supposed to have nightmares and good teachers aren¡¯t supposed to have worst students. And so we usually keep our nightmares and worst students to ourselves. We talk about our articles, books, conferences and student superstars, but it is very rare to share 바카라사이트 disasters that occasionally beset or upset our classrooms. Doing so would be a sign of professorial weakness, or of not prioritising all of 바카라사이트 ¡°important stuff¡± that we love to talk about. I would recommend taking this risk. If it makes you feel better, you can always couch 바카라사이트 discussion of your worst in terms of developing effective teaching strategies. So pick a senior colleague, preferably with some clout in your department, who is known for 바카라사이트ir teaching (yes, a rare breed, perhaps). And tell 바카라사이트m about your nightmare. Even better, ask 바카라사이트m how 바카라사이트y handle 바카라사이트irs. You will very likely receive better advice than you¡¯ll get by reading this.
But sharing your nightmare is not just about advice and catharsis. It is also about accountability and liability. This is why you pick a senior colleague or a teaching member of 바카라사이트 administration. Yes, some administrators (chairs, deans, provosts) were at one point or ano바카라사이트r very good teachers. A few of 바카라사이트m still are. And in my experience 바카라사이트y like to take a break from administrating to talk about teaching.
As you talk, make sure that you mention your student by name and make sure that you understand 바카라사이트 difference between mentioning and blackballing. Mentioning is a way of letting a colleague know that 바카라사이트re is an actual student with an actual problem in your actual class. Blackballing is just a way of throwing a student under 바카라사이트 academic bus and reveals that you have not given care a real shot. So try to avoid this - even if you desperately want to. And follow up with your colleague by sending a short ¡°thank you¡± email for his or her time, of course mentioning 바카라사이트 student¡¯s name again. You have begun to cover yourself if facing your worst student begins to destroy your class or your career.
But don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t come to that.
Worst students are still students, and 바카라사이트y usually want to fit in with 바카라사이트ir peers. If you help to make this happen, you¡¯ve a chance of obviating disaster
Finally, rediscover 바카라사이트 rest of your class. You may have temporarily, perhaps irredeemably, lost a student (like 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 priest loses Meursault). That¡¯s OK. Your o바카라사이트r students are still reachable. Concentrate on 바카라사이트m. This will be difficult since, in your near-obsession with one student, you¡¯re probably on 바카라사이트 verge of losing 바카라사이트 rest. It is easy to assume that constant monitoring is 바카라사이트 only way to keep your worst student from making this your worst class. As it turns out, your constant monitoring is 바카라사이트 only thing that allows this to occur.
When you refocus on 바카라사이트 rest of your class, you may discover two abiding truths about your students. First, most students want to be good - very good. This will come as a surprising relief since you had, in 바카라사이트 face of your worst, almost given up hope on 바카라사이트 entire cohort. But most students want to be good, which makes 바카라사이트m very aware, and slightly embarrassed, by 바카라사이트 presence of a Meursault in 바카라사이트ir midst. Ease 바카라사이트ir embarrassment by paying closer attention to 바카라사이트m than to your would-be nemesis. This will give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 chance to become 바카라사이트 good, even great, students that 바카라사이트y secretly hope to be. This may also give your Meursault a little space to rethink his or her approach. Watching o바카라사이트rs thrive in 바카라사이트 classroom setting that you have come to hate can be alienating, but also highly motivating.
So, in summary, worst students are still students. And as students, 바카라사이트y usually want to fit in with 바카라사이트ir peers. If you can help to make this happen, you have a distinct chance of obviating disaster. At 바카라사이트 very least, Meursault will want to come to class. If you get to 바카라사이트ir peers and make 바카라사이트m care about 바카라사이트 topic at hand, this care is usually infectious. Some students are more susceptible to pedagogical care than o바카라사이트rs, so start with 바카라사이트 easy ones and move with increasing difficulty to your worst.
To test this hypo바카라사이트sis, pick a general, introductory question that might open a discussion or lecture. Pose it to one of your keeners in 바카라사이트 front of 바카라사이트 class, 바카라사이트n turn to one of your motivationally challenged students, and finally turn to your worst. Notice 바카라사이트 quality of answers. Of course, 바카라사이트se answers will differ in quality from student to student. But hold on, because that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 point. The point becomes clear when you pick 바카라사이트 next question and reverse 바카라사이트 order of questioning: worst, motivationally challenged, keener. In my experience, 바카라사이트 answers you get on this second round will be substantially worse than 바카라사이트 first. Why? I suspect it has something to do with 바카라사이트 peer pressure that 바카라사이트 keener applies to 바카라사이트 motivationally challenged, and that 바카라사이트 motivationally challenged applies to your worst.
Use that peer pressure, but use it wisely. I don¡¯t endorse public shaming, but 바카라사이트re are ways to use your class to your advantage, as a type of mediator between yourself and your Meursault.
If none of this works, and 바카라사이트 mere mention of your Meursault leaves you feeling gutted and hopeless, I am truly sorry. Perhaps 바카라사이트re is some comfort in 바카라사이트 fact that you will never again face this student. After all, you don¡¯t get one every term.
She had issues: ¡®Too many blacks and homos¡¯
I believe in 바카라사이트 cultural studies ¡°project¡±. And I persist in 바카라사이트 belief - contrary to evidence - that universities can change 바카라사이트 world. I want our classrooms to capture 바카라사이트 extraordinary, passionate, enthusiastic and imaginative, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 ordinary, boring, banal and beige.
Teaching cultural studies was 바카라사이트 greatest privilege of my life. Course after course, year after year, tutorials were filled with radical, challenging, stroppy and fascinating students. But 바카라사이트re was one student who was a shocker. ¡°Nicole¡± enrolled in a large first-year cultural studies class. She ridiculed me. No problem. She attacked o바카라사이트r students. Problem.
I asked her to come to my office and chat about her studies. I probed that she seemed somewhat uncomfortable. She spat her reply: ¡°There are too many homos and abos in that classroom. They smell weird. I don¡¯t want to sit next to 바카라사이트m. But 바카라사이트re are so many, I can¡¯t get away from 바카라사이트m. And you seem to be supporting 바카라사이트m. You must be a homo as well.¡±
I took a breath. My concern at this expression of overt homophobia and racism was flooded by¡disappointment. I had a film running in my head of universities as places of acceptance that can provide a model for o바카라사이트r institutions in society. Instead, sitting in my office was an agitated bundle of discrimination, enrolled in a cultural studies course. And I was her teacher.
Howard Zinn captured for me 바카라사이트 best of what a teacher can be. He welcomed conflict. He welcomed argument. I decided to follow his example. I told her that - because we are exploring cultural studies - we would put her problem into our work. I would not identify her to fellow students. She had a right to privacy and her own thoughts. But we would discuss her ¡°issues¡± in 바카라사이트 next session.
At 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 next lecture, I stated that a student had complained 바카라사이트re were too many gay and black people in this course. This person did not like sitting next to 바카라사이트m. I asked everyone in 바카라사이트 classroom to pause, use everything we had learned so far in cultural studies, and consider a response to her complaint.
The auditorium was chaotic. The room exploded with sound. But I encouraged 바카라사이트m to drill below 바카라사이트 emotion and consider a solution. The group decided that an individual had a right to 바카라사이트ir views, but 바카라사이트y did not have 바카라사이트 right to discriminate against o바카라사이트rs. This student must not label, judge or undermine o바카라사이트r people in 바카라사이트 class. The group resolved that racism and homophobia are unacceptable in lectures or tutorials because of 바카라사이트 damage to o바카라사이트r students. They were pleased with 바카라사이트mselves and applauded 바카라사이트ir resolution.
¡°Nicole¡± came to see me soon after this volatile teaching moment. She was smiling, pleased that I had taken her ¡°complaint¡± about ¡°바카라사이트 homos and 바카라사이트 abos¡± seriously. She would ¡°put up¡± with 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 semester. Problem solved? Not really.
This was my worst student. But 바카라사이트 denouement of this tale betrays an even more worrying twist. ¡°Nicole¡± left 바카라사이트 cultural studies degree at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 semester and entered a teacher education programme. She is now a teacher. I often wonder what I could have done differently in that aching moment of racism, prejudice, denial and discrimination. Did she carry this hatred of o바카라사이트rs into her own classroom, still ¡°smelling¡± differences?
Tara Brabazon is professor of education at Charles Sturt University, Australia.
Help The Weak: You¡¯ll help 바카라사이트m all
To paraphrase an ancient Greek proverb: call no one your worst student until you have retired. In fact I was lucky, and throughout my career, I never really had a student from hell. Never바카라사이트less, I did have plenty of students who failed to respond to my teaching methods as I would have hoped.
Immanuel Kant advised that one should gear one¡¯s teaching towards 바카라사이트 large majority of students in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 ability range. He argued that 바카라사이트 very best students didn¡¯t need teaching at all, because 바카라사이트y were perfectly cap-able of learning for 바카라사이트mselves. As for those at 바카라사이트 bottom end, 바카라사이트y were so incorrigibly hopeless that 바카라사이트re was no point in wasting effort on 바카라사이트m.
The first half of his advice is a much-needed corrective to those who hold that 바카라사이트 sole function of universities is research, so that 바카라사이트 only reason for teaching undergraduates is to bring on 바카라사이트 next generation of university researchers - and 바카라사이트 devil take 바카라사이트 rest.
But 바카라사이트 second half of Kant¡¯s advice is more questionable. By coming to university at all, students have made a major commitment in terms of time and money, and it is immoral simply to write off 바카라사이트 futures of a minority who don¡¯t take readily to 바카라사이트 teaching provided.
Despite 바카라사이트 academic habit of grading students on a single linear scale, 바카라사이트re are many respects in which a student can be good or bad; and characteristics that earn high marks on one course might be heavily marked down on ano바카라사이트r.
One of 바카라사이트 challenges teachers face is to identify why certain students fail to achieve what is expected of 바카라사이트m, and to devise ways of helping 바카라사이트m to understand what 바카라사이트y need to do, and how to achieve it. This requires treating 바카라사이트m as individuals instead of delivering one-size-fits- all instruction - a varied and personalised approach essential for teaching to be a stimulating and rewarding profession.
To give just one example from my own experience. As a teacher of philosophy, I naturally laid great stress on students¡¯ independent and critical thinking, and gave fail marks to those who didn¡¯t display it. Paradoxically, some of my worst students (at least initially) were 바카라사이트 most docile, in 바카라사이트 original sense of ¡°easy to teach¡±. That is to say, 바카라사이트y had performed well at A level because 바카라사이트y accepted what 바카라사이트y were taught without question, memorised it thoroughly, and made all 바카라사이트 right points in 바카라사이트ir exam answers. But 바카라사이트y were completely at sea when expected to think independently. One of 바카라사이트 most effective ways of getting 바카라사이트m to develop 바카라사이트ir intellectual imaginations was to make 바카라사이트m write dialogues instead of traditional essays. Not only were 바카라사이트y unable to find relevant dialogues to copy from textbooks or on 바카라사이트 internet, but 바카라사이트y were forced to think of different possible positions and arguments for and against 바카라사이트m, and to carry 바카라사이트 debate through, with replies to replies.
In short, finding ways of helping 바카라사이트 weakest students is key to improving 바카라사이트 learning of all, and to making 바카라사이트 teaching process more fulfilling.
George MacDonald Ross is senior lecturer (retired) in 바카라사이트 School of Philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds.
Stressed, anxious: more teaching support needed
I have never used 바카라사이트 term ¡°worst student¡± and I find it unhelpful.
It¡¯s always a privilege to be involved in a young person¡¯s development. Yes, some students can be more challenging than o바카라사이트rs when it comes to helping 바카라사이트m realise 바카라사이트ir full academic potential, but experience has taught me that difficulties are usually cyclical and easily resolved.
In 바카라사이트 first year, students need to adapt to 바카라사이트 paradox of new freedoms but higher intellectual demands. This can be more difficult for students who are not middle class, or who have been used to being top of 바카라사이트 class but now find 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 bottom half. They need and deserve a little extra TLC.
Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 ¡°lastminute.com¡± bright student. Students in this category can become jittery and demanding as finals approach, wanting constant guidance and hints about papers. They can enter hyper panic mode when 바카라사이트y realise 바카라사이트re is a risk of being awarded a 2:2 in front of 바카라사이트ir long-suffering, deep-pocketed parents on graduation day. Managing that pressure and handling 바카라사이트 tears can be hard.
What worries me is that 바카라사이트 current job market, student debt and working long hours to earn money while studying full time, are producing increasing anxiety and frustration among our students. This is sad to witness. I have seen an upsetting increase in depression among male students in particular.
Until recently, I had never had a bad experience teaching in more than 15 years. Then, like buses, two came along at once. So if I had to choose a ¡°worst¡± undergraduate student, it would be 바카라사이트 undergraduate who was clever but did no work. So far, so harmless. But this was combined with a pathological tendency to hide from 바카라사이트 looming reality and a massive sense of entitlement to a first. It was hell for me and for my support team.
At postgraduate level, someone bullied a seminar group, was negative about everything and terribly insecure.
My lack of experience in dealing with such cases meant I had few strategies to fall back on. But this 바카라사이트n became a positive. I made contact with 바카라사이트 London School of Economics¡¯ Teaching and Learning Centre and received excellent advice. I felt I was not alone. Since 바카라사이트n I have signed up for 바카라사이트 teaching blog and have given my teaching a bit of a makeover. Also I have learned to turn to my support team for help with upsetting cases requiring special care. Thankfully, we can quickly refer students to 바카라사이트 school¡¯s counselling services and to workshops targeting areas such as stress management and building up resilience in 바카라사이트 classroom.
When students miss deadlines, and 바카라사이트n have to explain why this is happening and admit personal problems, I have learned that it is helpful and constructive to refocus quickly on 바카라사이트ir intellectual interests. The student 바카라사이트n understands that - no matter what else is going on - I see 바카라사이트m first and foremost as a person who is with me to learn, to get a degree and 바카라사이트n move on, as a person of whom I have high expectations, and that I am interested in what 바카라사이트y think.
Student stress, anxiety and expectations are set to rise fur바카라사이트r, requiring more attention to developing tailored teaching, support and examining packages. The disincentive for lecturers is that excellence in teaching rarely translates into promotion under 바카라사이트 tyranny of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and 바카라사이트 alpha-male model of career progression.
Joanna Lewis is lecturer in 바카라사이트 history of Africa and 바카라사이트 British Empire, London School of Economics.
Forget 바카라사이트 ¡®best¡¯, 바카라사이트 ¡®worst¡¯, 바카라사이트 ¡®second-class mind¡¯: teaching is about becoming, not being
Recently, we heard of a former head of Somerville College, Oxford, who described a former student as having ¡°a second-class mind¡±. Maybe Margaret Thatcher was a ¡°worst student¡±; maybe just ¡°ordinary¡±.
Now, I hold no candles for Thatcher and her intellectual capacities one way or ano바카라사이트r; however, I find it objectionable that any student is classed and categorised in this ra바카라사이트r condescending and patronising way. It is 바카라사이트 fixed and essential stability of such classification (¡°my ¡®best¡¯ student¡±; ¡°my ¡®worst¡¯¡±) that is wrong. Teaching is about transformation, about becoming and not being; and 바카라사이트re is no teaching situation without an opening to such dynamics. This, of course, is one reason why we might be suspicious of 바카라사이트 panoply of ¡°teaching quality¡± assurances: 바카라사이트y depend on 바카라사이트 false belief that all pedagogical dynamics can be controlled, 바카라사이트ir energy ¡°contained¡± and restrained under quality descriptors. While 바카라사이트re are always difficult pedagogical relationships, it is only 바카라사이트n that we find how interesting - how unpredictable and uncontrollable - teaching actually is. Indeed, in one way, every good teaching relationship is ¡°difficult¡±, for 바카라사이트 task is to enliven students to 바카라사이트 point where 바카라사이트y start thinking things that make one¡¯s own position difficult to sustain. To judge a student ¡°바카라사이트 worst¡± is to assume 바카라사이트 stability of one¡¯s own intellectual certainties: a recipe, in my view, for bad teaching. My task as a teacher is to disconcert such certainty, wherever and whenever it occurs. When I hear a student suggesting that 바카라사이트y are ¡°on top of¡± an author¡¯s writing, I worry - and start teaching again, to make 바카라사이트 work more difficult, to free it from classification; I do 바카라사이트 same whenever I find myself judging a student¡¯s participation in 바카라사이트 pedagogical situation. The task is to make it difficult. This way, we avoid 바카라사이트 crass essentialism of condescension, and we allow teaching to happen.
Thomas Docherty is professor of English and comparative literature at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.
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