Utopia is an ideal world where everything is perfect, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects. Of course in this world, there is no conflict at all. But sadly in this world that we live in, there are all kinds of conflict, specifically 5 kinds - person versus person, self, environment, technology and society. However, I would like to discuss about person versus person - interpersonal conflict. In this scenario which I am sharing happened in one of our most familiar and favorite places - the lecture theater.
Professor A was giving a lecture in a rather soft tone. Ironically, seats were only occupied from the fourth row to the last. Halfway during the lecture, Student B yelled out from the last row, "Can you speak louder? I cannot hear what you are saying!". The professor was stunned for a brief moment and finally replied, "Since the first few rows are not occupied, come down to the first row now so you can hear me better.". Student B yelled back without any hesitation, "No thanks, I am comfortable where I am sitting now.". The professor warned the student not to be rude or he will chase him out of the class. The student then kept quiet and the professor continued the lecture from where he was interrupted.
I was sitting at the fifth row, luckily the professor was audible. However, I found that what happened then was rather amusing. Basically I thought that Student B has absolutely no idea how to be diplomatic and polite. Definitely one who has the lowest emotional intelligence I have ever seen! Pardon me for saying that if you found it ironic. If Student B wanted to get what he wants then he should be more polite and humble instead of being aggressive and rude. Or perhaps he could have just moved down to the first row.
As for Professor A, I felt that he has said and done the right thing. And I felt that he should deserve the students' respect and we should try to be polite when communicating with them.
Like what Albert Einstein said, "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.". If Professor A and Student B understand each other's intention, would this incident happen? What would you do if you were Professor A or Student B?
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Hey Andrew,
ReplyDeleteYou give Student B way too much credit. He did not even bother with the "Can you speak louder?" He went straight to the "cannot hear!" without even raising his hand or identifying himself. I feel that although many faculty members do not bother with many formalities with students in order to be more approachable and facilitate learning and dialogue, students still need to follow basic rules of courtesy such as raising your hand or waiting for the lecturer to acknowledge that you wish to speak before you do speak.
I agree with you on the lecturer reacting appropriately. He basically made his stand clear and established the level of decorum that he expects during his classes. Personally, if I were the lecturer, I would have given the student the choice of moving to the front row or leaving the lecture. Aside from the fact that he did not even wait for the lecturer to acknowledge that he had something to say, he phrased his request in an extremely rude manner. Honestly, even in seminars where questions during the class are the norm, I believe that it is still necessary to raise your hand or use the words "excuse me" if you wish to interrupt someone.
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteI am quite surprised at reading about this incident. But yes,I've also noticed that at times, students do not give the lecturers the respect they deserve. This is quite surprising since, throughout school, we're taught to respect our teachers and talk to them politely. Yes, the lecturers do try to minimize the formalities to make them more approachable. But, in this particular case you mentioned, I think its rude for the student to even speak to a fellow student in that manner. And I believe, the lecturer did react in the best way possible. Hopefully, students will realise that a certain level of courtesy and politeness should be maintained when conversing with our lecturers.
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteIf we judge student B based on Singapore's culture, I agree he is rude.
However, we should not be quick to judge. I always believe sane people will not do insane things. In the event they do, they must have a compelling reason for doing so.
Hence, we should first find out the reason(s) for his unexpected behaviour during lecture. - Could it be due to a problem at home? Someone in his family passed away? Him losing his scholarship?
Of cause, the former explanations do not justify him to behave in this manner. However, knowing the reason helps us to understand and empathize with him.
Another reason for this behaviour that I can think of could be his upbringing - He might be from a culture where everyone behaves alike.
In conclusion, in addition to Albert Einstein's quote, I think peace will only be truly established if you know not only the person's intention, but also the rational for the things he is doing and you start to empathize with him.
Hi Jimmy,
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that upbringing plays a part, like the case Gerard mentioned on his blog.
Well, I do empathize with the person if he really had some problem which made him behave like that. But nevertheless, one tends to pass judgement but at least I try my best to keep those judgement within myself in case I say something offensive or anything. I think Student B should do that as well...
Hey Andrew,
ReplyDeleteSadly I am actually not very surprised to read about the lecture theatre incident. I feel that students can be very rude to lecturers, not least in front of the entire lecture group. I have encountered incidents where the student shouts in midst of a lecture, asking if the section the professor is teaching currently is examinable or not. I feel that this is a quite insulting question as it seems to insinuate that what the lecturer is teaching at that time is useless. I believe people, especially students, should bear certain etiquette whilst speaking in front of a large group of people.
In your case, I fully support the Lecturer A’s response to the student. He maintained his composure and answered the student in a logical manner. I feel that maintaining your composure even when under ‘attack’ is a handy skill to develop. It allows us to think clearly and not do anything stupid when we are emotional. Evidently, I disapprove of Student B’s actions. It is illogical to not be able to hear the Lecturer and yet, have qualms in moving closer.
These were just some of my thoughts:)
Jigna
Hey Andrew,
ReplyDeleteI was also in the lecture theatre when this incident happened and I was quite shocked.
I feel that it is not exactly a matter of whether they understood each other's intentions - i think each party perfectly understood what the other wanted. I feel that it is actually an issue of the tone used by the student. It was defintely not a very courteous one and thus, I do not blame the lecturer for taking offense. One has to understand that the manner in which he conveys his message determines the response from the audience.
In this case, the student should have taken a more polite tone considering the lecturer's status and age.