One of the most disheartening things about being in a large class is that there is bound to be a student (or two) that feels that they have to disrupt learning and challenge most everything that the instructor says. I call these antagonistic students.
True, it is the instructor's responsibility to teach and the student's responsibility to learn. It is not - or should not - the student's responsibility to interrupt that which the instructor has created. What can we, as students (remember that I am a student, too) do to deal with this?
The first thing I do, if I have a gut-feeling that nothing bad can happen, I would engage the student in conversation to ask them to refrain from talking while the instructor is speaking. Often times, they'll understand, but other times, they won't. Sadly, they might try to make life a little more difficult for you.
The next thing would be to talk to the instructor during their office hours or send them a quick e-mail asking them to monitor the situation. I would prefer the office hours route, because it subconsciously makes this a personal issue. And that way, the instructor will be on your side in the issue.
But, alas, if the situation doesn't resolve through this level, talk to your academic advisor about what's going on. They can talk to someone on an academic level - and quite possibly refer you to them - to resolve this issue.
As always, if you have questions about what to do with antagonistic students, don't hesitate to give me or my fellow Student Ambassadors. Send us an e-mail by clicking here or call us on (602) 496-7827.
Cheers-
Edward Jensen
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