Is this person of another race? I’m surprised they didn’t kick you out for racism for complaining about her.
I’d watch what you say, you don’t want to be branded a racist.
Yup, she’s black. So’s my instructor and Program Director, so I’m not sure she could claim racism. Maybe she could claim that I’m a racist (I’m white.) but not the teacher or school itself. Hell, the DEAN is a black woman.
Since the program director seems overly solicitous to students who complain, you should get a delegation of students together and convince him that there will be more trouble if he doesn’t toss her out than if he does. A mass exit from the classroom the next time she appears might change the dynamic entirely. If you are asked, you could mention the physical danger.
INHO, student evaluations have ruined college education. I discovered that it was easy to get good evaluations–just give easy exams and high grades.
It’s funny. In principle, they are paying good money (or their parents are) to get a good education. And yet the less they are asked to learn, the happier they are.
True story (although from about 1990, so maybe out of date): A colleague, in his first teaching job was advised by his dept. chair not to give any mark below B+. He would have to file an explanation, the parents would be upset, he would cause no end of trouble for himself, just don’t do it.
For the name of the school, see here:
Harvard
That was my first thought, actually. If she explodes when she’s in a fairly controlled environment, then what is she going to do when she has to face the public? MOST people are pretty nice and easy going, but when a person has to be in constant contact with the public, she’s going to have some clients that are completely whacked out. She’s NOT suited for any sort of customer service job. No salon is going to put up with her behavior for long…or if it does try to accommodate her, it will quickly lose its customers.
As for her not liking the OP’s laptop, well, I think that it’s more important for one sane student to be able to take notes than for an out-of-control student to be able to dictate what other people do, if the behavior that bothers the OOC student would be tolerated by most people. I do have to wonder if she’s someone’s niece or daughter or goddaughter, that she’s allowed to pull shit like this.
It does sound like she’s got some serious mental problems here, and I feel for her, but she really needs to either adjust to the world a bit more, or go live someplace with nice soft walls.
If she has any sort of mental or emotional issues you’re fucked.
I was in a class with a guy who we guessed was a high-functioning autistic (it wasn’t as if the administration could tell us). He’d burst out in the middle of the lesson shouting ‘TITS! BOOBIES!’ and had trouble staying on task - he’d look at skimpy drawings (it was a computer-based course).
I was a year ahead of him. I heard that the year after I graduated they finally did something. He got caught jacking off to the aforementioned pics in class! He got moved to his own computer room.
Nononono, they can’t do that: if you have a documented learning disability that is registered with the school’s office of diversity or counseling or whoever covers it, you are federally allowed whatever accommodations they’ve deemed suitable. IF you are indeed registered they are setting themselves for some major ADA-related drama. If you’re NOT registered as such with the school you need to do that.
You guys might need to go to the next step above the program director about this. Complain more than she does.
If she acts out again, stand up in class immediately and ask pointedly “Sir/Madam, the last time she acted out you told us that it wouldn’t happen again. As you cannot control her behavior, may we ask what steps you have taken to protect us from her acts of violence? We are all a bit fearful here.” Expect to be called down on this, so be sure that you coordinate this with the other sufferers, so that they be sure and back you up immediately in class…shouting down the creep professor, so that the nutcase doesn’t think that you are afraid of her.
See if some local news station has some sort of feature on local problems.
If the school has a newsletter, call one of their reporters.
Blog about it.
Call local police about the throwing her bag situation (not 911) and see if there is any relief.
Have several students call security (separately) and ask what security measures have been taken.
Can you all find a free lawyer for consultation in re this situation?? Restraining order? Never can tell. ADA considerations are for accomodations that the *school *must make, not other students. Consider a lawsuit. ( IANAL, so don’t know the feasiblity of this, so don’t jump all over me if one won’t fly. )
If the instructor was a jerk about your break, you can see that a private consultation is going to go nowhere. Go over jerks head, to the dean. Write certified letters to the dean, board of regents/owners, whatever, with cc, emails, etc…
good luck,
hh
I’m all for accommodating those with disabilities but this is ridiculous. If and when she graduates, this kind of behaviour won’t be acceptable in the workplace so why are people putting up with it now?
Do you have a cell phone with a voice recorder and/or video recorder? You (and others) should document her next tirade. Also, if she threatens anyone (yourself included) either verbally or physically you should call the police. If you fear for your safety, or for another person’s safety, this is an entirely reasonable course of action.
This is what I would do. Heaving something at the teacher should be considered an assault. There is no way I would accept her return to the class. She is a danger to everybody around her and I would change schools before I worked next to a crazy person with access to sharp instruments.
Video taping her is probably enough to push her over the edge and stab somebody. The scissors she uses are deadly.
Agreed. There is a limit to accommodation.
Some comprehensive high schools have cosmotology programs. Are you in high school or are you in a private cosmotology school?
I ask because the student’s behavior is not that uncommon in public high schools. I reread the OP that described the disruptive student’s behavior. The biggest problems so far have been insubordination and disruption. She may have thrown the 40 pound bag toward the instructor, but there is no indication that she threw it far or could have. She slammed down a hairdryer and shears. She didn’t throw them at anyone.
Don’t misunderstand. I don’t think that she should be allowed to enter the classroom again. If she is in high school, she should see vocational classes as a privilege to be earned with mature, workplace conduct. If this is a private school, she should simply be booted.
Cut the teacher some slack too. You’ve made a number of assumptions. If this is a new job for him, then obviously he is open to changes in his life. You cannot read his mind or know his motives. All you know is that he is new to the job and is almost as old as Michael Jackson.
I doubt very seriously that it was the teacher’s decision to allow the student back in class. He probably had no choice in the matter. If you think that you are frustrated, think how the teacher must feel!
I think that you have every reason to expect a better learning environment. Talk to the teacher. But I don’t see the need yet to plan walk-outs or anything that might get you into trouble. (The cell phone videos are a great idea.) If talking to the teacher doesn’t solve the problem, go to the teacher’s boss.
If you weren’t supposed to take a food break, you have to face the consequences. On the other hand, hurray for the rebel spirit in you! Where was the teacher when you were taking your food break?
Demand safety, but you don’t have to stomp your foot, you know?
Also, look into the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Google is your friend.) That will give you the support you need for having your lap top. Explain the law (perhaps in a note) to your teacher.
Why? Is that what you would have done? Is that what you are saying? If you had been the Dean of the school, would you have kicked out a person of one race for complaining about a person of another race? Do you think that schools and businesses are allowed to do that or want to do that? Why did you bring up the subject of race? Do you think it’s always about race? Or is that just true for you perhaps – that it’s always about race? Never mind. That’s another subject for a different thread.
The classmates should register their fears of this lady with the school heads not the teacher. Tell them how unsafe this lady is and you fear for your safety with a person that is psycho and physically throwing stuff. You was also intimidating the other students with threats.
Zoe, if this were any other program but cosmetology, I’d agree with you. But this woman is expected to use scissors and caustic chemicals in the course of her training, and her behavior is so violent and so unpredictable that she’s inherently unsafe.
And, frankly, classroom safety isn’t (and shouldn’t be) a tu quoque situation. It doesn’t matter if the OP took an unsanctioned food break. She’s being subjected to dangerous behavior when she has the right to a safe educational environment.
torie, I suggest complaining as a group to the head of your school. I will agree with Zoe that it’s above the teacher’s head. Above all, try to work within the system; don’t go to the press. All that’ll do is make things worse for everyone by embarrassing the school and the other woman, who’s got enough problems.
Finally, I can make another suggestion. If you’re being funded by a program like the Job Training Partnership Act or something similar, you may want to talk to your funders if you can’t get a resolution from the school itself. Your funders have the right to know what their money is buying, and they most likely have considerable pull with the administration.
Stop being smarter than me, Dangerosa. It’s annoying.
Except she used “infer” incorrectly; it should have been “imply.” Torie and classmates imply that the administrators have a responsibility; the administrators can infer their responsibilities from what Torie is saying.
Only so I wouldn’t come off as too smart…you want to make small grammatical and spelling errors so you seem human and approachable 
Ah yes, a Persian flaw, as it were.
And consider that this is no ordinary customer service job. It’s not like making sandwiches at Subway or something. People will get all upset if they get too many onions on their sandwich. Imagine how some people react when they don’t like the results of their haircut?
I think you’d have to have very good people skills to be a successful stylist.
Do you have to graduate from cosmetology school in order to get a license in your state, torie?
Because if she injures someone on the job and an investigation or lawsuit occurs, and they discover that the school was well aware of her proclivities and let her graduate and take the exam…well, it wouldn’t be good for them.