Kathy,
I thought Tom's comment was very helpful. While I agree that students learn many professionalism lessons from working through difficult team communication, there is also a time to realize that in the "real world" this person might be fired.
I concur with others that this doesn't sound like a pure TBL problem, but more of a "difficult student" problem. Because your post focuses on her behavior rather than on the team marginalizing her, it sounds like she does not understand that her behavior is inappropriate. Storming out a class, TBL or not, indicates to me that this student needs help. She will either accept help, or not.
If she does return to the class, I would suggest helping her understand appropriate behavior in a meeting with you and the appropriate administrator. As part of that meeting, I would also require her to work with the same team. I would predict when she is faced with the prospect of not getting her way, the burden of discussing her own performance with an administrator, and having to apologize for her behavior to the team (not necessarily formally, but in deed by participating) she will either come into line or withdraw from the course.
As educators we have a responsibility to help this type of student understand professional behavior. However, I think we do little to help her understand that the "real world" also has harsh consequences for such behavior if she comes back to the class.
It sounds like the team tried repeatedly to improve communication with this student before her outburst. Given those efforts, I would make the argument that at this point the most important lesson this student can learn is that her behavior will not be tolerated by her colleagues (the team, and class generally) or "supervisors" (you and the administration). On the same token, if she accepts that message and spends the rest of the semester as a productive and engaged student, then you should view it as a success.
Good luck!
Margaret
Margaret Sova McCabe
Professor of Law
Franklin Pierce Law Center
2 White Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone 603-228-1541
Phone Direct Dial 603-513-5261
Fax 603-228-0386
>>> Thomas DeWitt <[log in to unmask]> 02/26/10 1:21 AM >>>
Kathy,
Keep in mind that you have a responsibility to the rest of the class to maintain a positive work environment. I suggest that you engage whatever office you have on campus that handles student disciplinary procedures. If this student is disrupting or threatening to the rest of the class, you have an obligation to have that individual removed. I had a student last semester that was prone to outbursts, including slamming doors. I was able to have him removed from class and even had a security guard placed at the door. The rest of the students were very grateful and things got back to normal.
Cheers, Tom
Tom DeWitt Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Marketing
College of Business and Economics
University of Hawaii - Hilo
200 W. Kawili St.
Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 974-7384
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lynne O. Fox" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010 18:43
Subject: Re: Problem Student
To: [log in to unmask]
> Hello Kathy,
>
> I don't think it's something you could have prevented. Many years ago, I had a student like this. I wasn't using TBL, then. But the fact that I haven't had another student like that isn't because I've gotten better at handling them. It's because another one hasn't been in any of my classes. I think the reason most people have not had this problem is because it's relatively rare. It's not unusual to have a difficult student, but it does seem to be rare to have a student who is (seemingly?) immune to any attempts from faculty, or from fellow students, to change the behavior. In my class, students (even his friends) started sitting as far away from him as they could, and he just seemed to feed off this, rather than tone down his behavior. Yes, I think I could have handled it better, and that might have made things easier for me and for the rest of the class; but I don’t think it would have changed his behavior. So if you feel your interactions with the rest of your students are pretty good, don’t fret about this one. (I did, and for years, until I realized that there hadn’t been another like him and it was just a rare occurrence.)
>
> Best Wishes,
> __________________________________________
> Lynne O. Fox, Ph.D.
> MND 3032
> Department of Philosophy
> California State University, Sacramento
> 916-717-3980
>
> Philosophy is the headache for which it is the cure.
> (Attributed to both Wittgenstein and Wisdom.)
>
>
>
> On 2/25/10 5:11 PM, "Marjorie Baier" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Makes me think I should have been able to prevent this
> > meltdown.
<[log in to unmask]>
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