Advice on Obnoxious student...

[jschut]

We have this "guy" in our class who makes his comments about anything and everything in class (an arrogant, egotistical, Mr Know-it-all)...such as when someones cell phone went off in class (they had it on vibrate, but you can still hear it sometimes) he loudly proclaims, "Ok everyone, I thought we were told to leave the adult toys at home!" which of course got a little giggle from some of the younger gals who thought it was cute. (I guess)

I have some difficulty understanding what is said due to his constant chatter throughout class (not to me, but to another gal who sits nearby). I can't have too much background noise, else I cannot hear clearly.

He "takes over" any group he is in, automatically makes himself the "spokesperson" and tells the others, "We'll do it this way, since I'm the oldest one here." (He's in his 40's I would imagine and I heard that from a member of his group last week.)

He is a decent student and does ask intelligent questions. But he just grates on EVERYONES nerves! And I just want him to be quiet!

I don't want to say anything yet to the instructors, simce school just started and I don't want to make an impression of being a trouble maker.

Any ideas folks?

[lmolvr]

I say talk to the instructor as well. It is part of their responsibility to create a good learning environment. It's possible the instructor is not aware that this guy is annoying to you (and others). In one of my classes our intructor was lecturing....two girls were chatting in the back of the room (I was unaware of that until....) all of a sudden this guy shouts "WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT UP!! I CAN'T HEAR THE TEACHER" The whole class turned around and the girls were beet red!! It worked though....and the instructor made a comment on how we need to be sensitive to the other people around us (ie shutup).

You don't want to embarass the poor guy....yet I think the instructor would have the best impact on this guy.

I swear I must have his cousin in my class...My guy is really quiet..won't chat during class.... but always has a comment on everything...knows someone who's had that done...he's had that done to himself....

Lmo

[mrsmoo2]

I can defiantly relate...we have a lady who's probably in her 40's and I'm afraid she's going to have an "unfortunate accident" if she doesn't shut up!!!! The teacher cannot say anything without her raising her hand with "just a quick comment". She has a story for everything..one of those who has a family member whos had every injury or disease that is being discussed. She also asks stupid, (yes, I said stupid, there ARE stupid questions!!!!!!) stupid, questions. For example..we were discussing proper charting techniques, and our instructor was talking about how we're to chart things the patient says exactly as they say it, cuss words & all...and this woman actually interupted to ask what to do if they cuss at us in a foreign language!!!! Everyone just stared at her for awhile & the instructor ignored her. We never get into the lab when we're supposed to because this woman won't let the lecture move at all...constant interruptions. People have sighed loudly, threw their pens down in disgust, even asked that all personal stories be held until after the lecture...but she just keeps going. Boy, it feels good to get all that out...maybe I won't have to strangle her Monday!!!!!!

[studentnurse74, LPN, LVN]

You don't want to embarass the poor guy....

And why not? :chuckle

[Stitchie]

I swear nursing schools recruit the obnoxious ones to teach us patience with difficult co-workers in the future...

I had two sisters who would laugh and giggle and make jokes thruout every single lecture! I did all I could, every semester after the first one, to stay away, but it never worked.

Finally someone just yelled at them during a lecture on EKG's (we were seniors then, last semester of school) and told them to shut the h#ll up. the class applauded, the instructor was speechless, and we had no more problems with the teenage girls who both had two kids by the time they were 18!

[abundantjoy07, RN]

i guess i'm old-school but i have had this situation before and although i'm not very outspoken, i finally turned around to this student who was constantly interrupting everyone and told her to, "shut up - i'm not paying to listen to your mouth, i'm paying to listen to the teacher!" whew - i got applause for this one! but, it worked.

wow!!!

[mlfp53]

I can defiantly relate...we have a lady who's probably in her 40's and I'm afraid she's going to have an "unfortunate accident" if she doesn't shut up!!!! The teacher cannot say anything without her raising her hand with "just a quick comment". She has a story for everything..one of those who has a family member whos had every injury or disease that is being discussed. She also asks stupid, (yes, I said stupid, there ARE stupid questions!!!!!!) stupid, questions. For example..we were discussing proper charting techniques, and our instructor was talking about how we're to chart things the patient says exactly as they say it, cuss words & all...and this woman actually interupted to ask what to do if they cuss at us in a foreign language!!!! Everyone just stared at her for awhile & the instructor ignored her. We never get into the lab when we're supposed to because this woman won't let the lecture move at all...constant interruptions. People have sighed loudly, threw their pens down in disgust, even asked that all personal stories be held until after the lecture...but she just keeps going. Boy, it feels good to get all that out...maybe I won't have to strangle her Monday!!!!!!

I also have a woman in her 40's in my class, I'm 50! but she acts like she knows everything because she works in a hospital dong charting. I'm a medical assistant for 15 years! I can also make remarks about some of the subjects because I've been in the medical field for so long, but I sit quietly and learn like everyone else. These people really get me steamed! They don't seem to realize that they are not special, ok they made it into the nursing program, but so what, so did everyone else in the class. Everyone else worked just as hard to get accepted and they are here so they must be doing something right. There is no reason someone should try to show up their classmates because they think they are better then everyone else. So you should definitely speak to your instructor quietly and tell her how disturbing the noise is to you because everyone is there to learn not to listen to obnoxious people! Best of luck to everyone!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I wouldn't worry about embarrassing him, he's doing a fine job of that on his own right now.

[luckymichelle]

Maybe its just the guy in me saying this, but I don't believe in taking the passive approach when it comes to dealing with people like that. I'd simply tell that diva to shut the h*ll up so I can hear what the instructor is saying. Why let that fool ruin your opportunity to learn? The b*tch needs to be shut down, and I don't think anyone would see you as a troublemaker if you speak up about this because others in the class are probably thinking the same thing. People like him are cowards who act that way only when they're among passive people who allow them to get away with it. Youv'e got to speak up, otherwise he will only continue doing what he's doing and you're the one who'll lose out when you miss important information given in the lectures.

Go Tony! Can you come to my class and talk to my classmate? She answers all of the questions that I ask my prof. It wouldn't bother me that much, except she's usually WRONG. :imbar

[luckymichelle]

I also have a woman in her 40's in my class, I'm 50! but she acts like she knows everything because she works in a hospital dong charting. I'm a medical assistant for 15 years! I can also make remarks about some of the subjects because I've been in the medical field for so long, but I sit quietly and learn like everyone else. These people really get me steamed! They don't seem to realize that they are not special, ok they made it into the nursing program, but so what, so did everyone else in the class. Everyone else worked just as hard to get accepted and they are here so they must be doing something right. There is no reason someone should try to show up their classmates because they think they are better then everyone else. So you should definitely speak to your instructor quietly and tell her how disturbing the noise is to you because everyone is there to learn not to listen to obnoxious people! Best of luck to everyone!

AMEN my friend, AMEN. I believe we are in class with the same person.

[enfermeraSG]

I'm a medical assistant for 15 years! I can also make remarks about some of the subjects because I've been in the medical field for so long, but I sit quietly and learn like everyone else"........."There is no reason someone should try to show up their classmates because they think they are better then everyone else."

I hear you on that one! I have three such people (how did I luck out??) in my class, one very young (CNA) and the others late 40's to 50's who work near hospitals. haha. Anyway, they won't shut the heck up! I have been in the medical field for 13yrs, paramedic and now surgical OB tech, but do I pipe up? No way, we are all there to learn from the instructors. Otherwise, why don't you just go take the boards and shut up?! SG

[smk1, LPN]

ok so classes just resumed for me, and i have an obnoxious loud mouth sitting RIGHT NEXT to me during A&P and directly behind me in the lab. Non-stop talking, interrupting the teacher and wasting class time by bringing up stuff that is not really relevant to the lecture material. You all know the type... thinks he knows the answer to everything, argues about the answer the teacher is looking for. I'm like hello if the teacher says the sun is blue and ice cold, then for that class at least, the SUN IS BLUE AND ICE_COLD! It's called cooperate and graduate. Some people really need to get with the program.

[ZootRN]

I remember a story when director of the program was invited to sit in a class to see how disruptive one of the students was.

In my recent class a student right behind me regularly put her feet on a chair right next to me, and her feet are STINKY!!!! I would rather deal with a student who talks too much, trust me.