May 13 2008
Do you have a nasty classmate?
Do you have a nasty classmate in your online classes?
Every now and then, you get a fellow student who is unprofessional or just plain mean in your class discussions. You don’t want this person to ruin your class experience, but you do not want to degrade your participation by confronting the person either.
There are some simple tips to address this rare but still annoying issue:
- Respond with kindness and professionalism: Do not let this person add any more negativity to the class by getting mean and nasty yourself. If you must interact with this student, simply keep a civil and polite tone, and get your part of the work done.
- Notify the instructor with a polite e-mail: Professors might not see a rude post as quickly as you do. Send them a kind, informative note about where the post is located, and ask them to review it.
- Politely ask the student to clarify his or her points: Perhaps the student is inadvertently being rude because his or her communication skills are a bit rusty. Sometimes, a simple follow-up question can get the student to clarify comments in a more tactful manner.
- Ignore the rude student: When all else fails and the situation is out of hand, let the instructor handle it and simply ignore that particular student’s comments. Keep your class moving forward by focusing on the other students.
- Notify your advisor and the administration: If you feel the instructor is not doing anything, most schools have a feedback or suggestions box/link. Use that or simply use your course catalog book to find your program’s dean or academic chair and notify them of the problem.
Remember to always be courteous and professional in all your communications. If your messages to instructors or administrators come off as mean rants or irrational complaints, it is less likely that you will be taken seriously.
