Timeline for How to toughen up against hostile students as a TA?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
18 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2017 at 14:03 | comment | added | aparente001 | @Joe - I took Nicole's use of the word provoke to mean that OP should speak and behave in a neutral way, and avoid escalation. I'm glad you're on the lookout for victim-blaming responses to the OP's question -- but I think the context of Nicole's answer shows clearly that her answer doesn't have that problem. I can see that if you were the author of this answer, you would have chosen a different word. But when we evaluate others' answers, I don't think we can judge them with quite as perfectionist an eye as we can use when editing and re-editing our own writing. | |
| Dec 1, 2017 at 7:28 | comment | added | Tobias Kildetoft | @Joe There will always be choices of actions and words in these situations which are more likely to cause the threatening person to do more than threaten. Choosing these do not put the blame on you for what happens (outside some absurd possibilities of course), but trying to avoid them is still good advice. | |
| Nov 30, 2017 at 19:49 | comment | added | Nicole Hamilton | @Joe I think that's what I said in my answer above. I intended a distinction between the first indication of difficult behavior and behavior that's clearly threatening. If the student is merely being difficult and disrespectful but you don't experience it as threatening, then propose setting up a meeting with the instructor, avoiding saying or doing anything that might further set him off. If it's already gone past that and has begun to feel physically threatening, get away immediately. You don't feel that was clear in my answer, even given my explanation of my intent? | |
| Nov 30, 2017 at 19:39 | comment | added | Joe | @NicoleHamilton I disagree (strongly) with the use for "stimulate" or "cause". That's victim blaming directly: you're saying the victim should stop causing the aggressor to be aggressive. If someone is yelling at me or being physically aggressive towards me, regardless of being a TA or anything else, I think it is without question appropriate to stop interacting and leave the room. | |
| Nov 30, 2017 at 18:02 | comment | added | Nicole Hamilton | @Joe You can't stop interacting, e.g., if you intend to pass the student off to the instructor, you will need to explain why you would like to do that. You can avoid doing anything that might further provoke more of the bad behavior. Provoke is more neutral than perhaps you think. All it means (as I've intended it here) is "stimulate" or "cause". | |
| Nov 30, 2017 at 16:48 | comment | added | Joe |
I dislike the use of the word "provoke"; while you certainly don't intend this, it is a word that suggests the victim is partly at fault for the aggressor's actions (or future actions). immediately stop arguing or interacting with the student might be a better way to word that.
|
|
| Nov 29, 2017 at 17:02 | comment | added | aparente001 | @whrrgarbl - Okay, done; thanks for the suggestion. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 15:19 | comment | added | aparente001 | ... times of day are safer than others in your building and nearby streets; do not hesitate to call campus security for an escort while leaving your building at night, or ask a fellow student to walk you to your car. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 15:19 | comment | added | aparente001 | +1. Additional suggestions to OP: please report this student to your professor or your department -- otherwise, you'll be inadvertently training the student to behave disrespectfully to TAs. For your peace of mind in the future, schedule your office hours at a time when your office mate will be in and out or you know there is plenty of traffic in your hallway; create at least one buddy relationship with a fellow TA, who is aware of your experience, and out of solidarity, would like to be in a relationship of mutual support re office hours; develop an awareness of what ... | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 15:13 | comment | added | aparente001 | @yupsi - Another clue is the term "TAing." To my ear, this term helps me interpret the vocabulary used in the question. Nicole has written an excellent answer based on the question as written. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 15:01 | comment | added | Nicole Hamilton | @yupsi Where have you ever heard the police referred to as "security"? If the OP had meant "police", I think that's the word they'd have used. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 14:45 | comment | added | yupsi | @NicoleHamilton: I understood OP's post not to mention campus security, but any security (e. g. thr police). | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 14:12 | comment | added | Tristan | At my school, a student acting like that would be subject to expulsion in pretty short order. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 13:09 | comment | added | Nicole Hamilton | @yupsi The OP refers to calling security so apparently it does exist on their campus. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 12:22 | comment | added | Konrad Rudolph | @yupsi Yes. In fact, it’s an utterly foreign concept to me that raises my hackles. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 9:52 | comment | added | Dirk | @yupsi A student as described in the question would be reason enough to call the police, if the campus had no own security. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 7:53 | comment | added | yupsi | Note that the concept of campus security does not exist all over the world. | |
| Nov 29, 2017 at 3:41 | history | answered | Nicole Hamilton | CC BY-SA 3.0 |