I have a name ya know....

[AmandaLaederich]

This term is my last in college (or so is the hope) and for that one last major credit I need to finish I got the divine pleasure of teaching a class, it also just happens the teacher who was originally going to be the teacher just had her baby. Woo babies!! Anyway, so to quickly fill the no teacher slot they flung me into it and gave me credit whatevs right? I was excited, not only did I not have to do the homework for once, but I didn’t even have to come up with the teaching plan. Not to mention it counts as “real world”/ professional work experience. Granted not paid but still pretty cool.
I walked into the class ready to show my advisor who was sitting in the back that I could handle things by myself and didn’t need him. However, just as I walked in one of the students turned and shouted out for god and country to hear, “Hey Circle K girl!” My excitement fell and my heart dropped to the bottom of my feet.
For those who don’t know I work at a local convenience store to pay for my school. I have pissed off many o’college students either by taking their fake ID, denying them booze because they were to drunk, or pissed them off in some way or another. Apparently a group of them are in this class, my friends tell me not to be upset that they call me this because this is just how they associate with me.
First, let’s make this clear. People that call me “Circle K girl,” do it to be mean, they call me this as a put down and it suggest that I will never be more that a cashier at Circle K. I continually get told that I will be doing this for the rest of my life, and when they find out that I’m in college they ask me if I’m majoring in being a loser.
To make a long story short, instead of starting off the class with a game to loosen things up I get bombarded with insults and questions. “How come I have to show you my ID every time I come in to buy beer?” “Hey, bitch I want my ID back,” ect… Things got so loud and no one was listening to me my advisor had to jump in and regain control.

For future reference to anyone who dare call me “Circle K girl” this is not my name, never has been never will be. And if you do dare, make sure to come close enough to say it to my face instead of behind your buddies where you are safe and I will show you who the loser is….

[vikingchyk]

To make a long story short, instead of starting off the class with a game to loosen things up I get bombarded with insults and questions. “How come I have to show you my ID every time I come in to buy beer?” “Hey, bitch I want my ID back,” ect… Things got so loud and no one was listening to me my advisor had to jump in and regain control.

Wait, so there were a bunch of college students, bullying a teacher??

Our society is doomed. :P

[PepperElf]

Sounds like you have a good reason to tell them icily "My name is Ms Laederich. I'm sure this won't be too hard to remember." etc.

Cos remember, you're also in a position to report their behavior to the dean.


Back in one of my C-schools one of my instructors was an E4, and most of the class outranked her. So, as a reminder that she had positional authority in class, we had to call her "Petty Officer <Last Name>". At the most we could have gotten away with calling her "ET3 <Last Name>" but, if we were disrespectful to her, we WOULD be answering to the Command Master Chief.*


Perhaps it's time the class pulled its head out of its ass and understood that YOU are in charge here. You are to be treated with respect and anyone who can't do that can fucking explain why to the school administrator.


* I've mentioned this one before but an officer disrespected an instructor at that school-house once... and the CMC ripped him a new asshole over it, so yeah... he'd sure as hell defend her positional authority too.

[thatcrazyredhead]

I would have kicked each one of them who was disrespectful out of the class and marked them absent for the day. You shouldn't have to deal with that!

[Divra]

Dear Lord. When will people realize that insulting people in positions of power will only end badly? I can just see a certain conversation with Mom and Dad who are forking over the dough...

* Why did you fail AmandaLaederich's class?
* Ummm... well... have to mumblemumble before cough.

On a sidenote, I got this gem from one of our bouncers.

"I know you only became a bouncer because you failed to become a cop, but can't you make an exception this once?" Ummm... how about no?

[thehuckster]

The first thing a teacher must do is command respect. Students who disrespect you in that way should be immediately ejected from the class, to make a clear statement that you will not get run over.

This is your classroom, and if students have something personal against you, then show them the way out. Their behavior robs everyone else of a good education.

[Chanlin]

This is your classroom, and if students have something personal against you, then show them the way out. Their behavior robs everyone else of a good education.

Quoted for truth. As an education major, classroom management is one of the big things that we get drilled on. Unfortunately because they got away with it before you will be fighting an uphill battle. However, if you will be continuing to teach you really need to put your foot down and tell them to leave. Have a different adviser present, or get some of the other students to back you up that tossing them out on their asses was justified so they can't complain to a dean later and get you in trouble. Document, document, and document some more, but show those losers the door and don't look back.

[Jay 2K Winger]

On a sidenote, I got this gem from one of our bouncers.

"I know you only became a bouncer because you failed to become a cop, but can't you make an exception this once?" Ummm... how about no?

WOW.

NEVER disrespect the person who controls your ability to get into and stay in the establishment!

As for the OP, agreed on everyone's advice that you put the hammer down on anyone who calls you "Circle-K Girl." You remind them that YOU'RE in charge, and threaten to kick them out and mark them absent if they keep it up.

Just because you're a substitute teacher does not mean you're not a teacher, and therefore in charge.

[AmandaLaederich]

I didn't even get a chance to really say anything. They all were talking over me to loudly, the only reason they stopped yelling at me is when my advisor slammed a book down on the table. Then he sent me out of the room and back to his office. I don't know what happened after or what was said but now there are only 10 students in the class now.

[gremcint]

Ok making a bigger deal out of than normal may not be the best approach. Respond with, why yes I did work at the circle K, however I've leveled up from being in charge of your alcohol to being in charge of your grades. Tread Lightly. Then if a student calls you a bitch that's when you start, "leave now or I call security".

[Merriweather]

I would start the next class with a statement (or write it on the board if you can't get immediate attention"
"In spite of any other job you may know of that I do do earn my money for tuition at this college, we are NOT at that job, we are at XYX College, where my job is teaching this class. Therefore, in accordance with collage rules for showing respect to teachers, I will be known here as Miss Smith. Failing to give the teacher of this class the proper respect will result in an 'F' for the day, and being told to leave the class - failing to leave will result in campus security being called. Two infractions and you will be reported to the Dean. Now, who wants to see this in action?".

And follow through, even if you ahve to kick out half the class.

[AmandaLaederich]

Ok making a bigger deal out of than normal may not be the best approach. Respond with, why yes I did work at the circle K, however I've leveled up from being in charge of your alcohol to being in charge of your grades. Tread Lightly. Then if a student calls you a bitch that's when you start, "leave now or I call security".

I think you guys are missing the part where they wouldn't let anyone, including my advisor, get a word in edge wise. Most of you are telling me that their attention needed to be gotten and that is what happened. My advisor got their attention by slamming the book down. That stopped everything.

This is all great advise guys but here is the deal, I feel that had the exact samething were to come crashing down on you without notice and you being unprepared to deal with that, that most of you would have froze.

I mean no disrespect by this statement, but telling me what "should" have happened and actually acting upon it are two different things. I did the best I could and so did my advisor. They aren't in the class anymore and there hasn't been problems since. Since I had no actual power to do anything, my advisor did it, since he does and knows how to go about this properly. I do not regret letting him take the reigns.

[Sleepwalker]

Sounds like your advisor handled it pretty well, glad he's not a crappy manager type.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I think you guys are missing the part where they wouldn't let anyone, including my advisor, get a word in edge wise. Most of you are telling me that their attention needed to be gotten and that is what happened. My advisor got their attention by slamming the book down. That stopped everything.

This is all great advise guys but here is the deal, I feel that had the exact samething were to come crashing down on you without notice and you being unprepared to deal with that, that most of you would have froze.

I mean no disrespect by this statement, but telling me what "should" have happened and actually acting upon it are two different things. I did the best I could and so did my advisor. They aren't in the class anymore and there hasn't been problems since. Since I had no actual power to do anything, my advisor did it, since he does and knows how to go about this properly. I do not regret letting him take the reigns.

I don't think anyone here is faulting you for freezing up-- lord knows, I probably would have as well-- but we're giving you advice for how to respond the next time this sort of thing happens.

It's easy for people to look back and say how things SHOULD have happened, but what's done is done, all we can do is provide advice and/or ammunition for the next time it happens.

Your advisor did the right thing, and so did you given the suddenness and the hostile environment. Don't forget that.

[thehuckster]

I mean no disrespect by this statement, but telling me what "should" have happened and actually acting upon it are two different things. I did the best I could and so did my advisor. They aren't in the class anymore and there hasn't been problems since. Since I had no actual power to do anything, my advisor did it, since he does and knows how to go about this properly. I do not regret letting him take the reigns.

I totally understand. That's what the advisor is there for, and he did the right thing. All I am and I think everyone else here is saying this is a great learning experience. The advisor couldn't get a word in, so he did whatever he could to bring the class back to order, which was to startle them with a book slam and then excuse the troublemakers from the class. If that happens to you in the future when you don't have an advisor, you now know what to do.

Troublemakers can make or break a class. I was in a class with a very nice teacher, but who didn't have a backbone. We barely learned anything there because he was constantly interrupted by these three losers who knew how to make the class all about them by basically going on an MST3K-esque riffing of the lecture. All the teacher said throughout the entire semester was, "Please pay attention" without any further action.

Contrast that with the teacher who on the first day, as soon as someone's cellphone went off confiscated said phone until the end of the class. From that point on, everyone made sure their phone was on silent. Speak out of turn? The teacher reamed you for it. Sure, the teacher wasn't as fun and nice as the first one, but he commanded respect, and as long as you followed the rules, he was fair, and you learned a great deal.

I have a great respect for teachers of all grades, from kindergarten all the way up to pre-med. It seems no matter what age group you're teaching, you've got students who simply have no manners and seem committed to making sure your and other students' lives are miserable.