<p>agreed, jym. I was just responding to some recent posts.</p>
<p>I was wrong–we did hear the other side–but in most of the world, it will never catch up to the original story, and this will always be the story about the stutterer who was told not to speak in class.</p>
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<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/nyregion/professor-of-philip-garber-nj-stutterer-defends-actions.html?scp=4&sq=stutter&st=cse[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/nyregion/professor-of-philip-garber-nj-stutterer-defends-actions.html?scp=4&sq=stutter&st=cse</a></p>
<p>^ ^
Considering the same article in question said:</p>
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<p>an observer wouldn’t be out of line to read the Prof’s characterization of her situation as an attempt at damage control after she’s experienced negative publicity and the ire of some members of the greater public.</p>
<p>^ Right but the College administrators are also taking the politically correct and easier line, distancing themselves from the issue and invariably just getting rid of her to wipe their hands clean.</p>
<p>What do they have to say about the Dean who also met the student and told him to just enroll in a different class?</p>
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<p>With all due respect, i find it hard to believe someone with her ratings does do this sort of thing that everyone else does. Anyone who runs a class discussion or grades participation uses lines like that. I’m constantly saying things like “okay but let’s hear from some who haven’t had a chance to talk today yet?” or “someone we haven’t heard from?” And so on. But after say 80 classes in my career, I’ve seen a hodge podge of occasional very difficult students and these everyday lines simply do not do the trick. There are those that go on and on and on belaboring every point they can possibly make. Those that put up their hand and never actually connect it to anything that was just said or any question that was asked. Those that insist on answering their own questions. That keep their hand raised even when its obvious you aren’t going to be calling on them again for a looong time. </p>
<p>Not saying any of that fits here exactly but we were not in the room we really don’t know the dynamics that took place. This kid is new to college, he’s 16, and its very easy that things were miscommunicated or misinterpreted.</p>
<p>I see, garland. thanks for clarifying.</p>
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<p>By the same token, couldn’t the fact he’s 16 and that most people would take the view that 16 year olds…or anyone in a younger or more subordinate position in an unequal relationship be used as cover by teachers/Profs or other authority figures to cover and even defend mistakes or worse…nefarious actions due to human prejudices? </p>
<p>Is it very possible that Prof. Snyder never had experiences with stutterers and like most people IME…reacted with impatience and annoyance at the first student she’s encountered with that disability? </p>
<p>I find that quite compelling considering how I’ve had/known of teachers who belittled classmates with disabilities. A few even going so far as to actually violating state education laws before the City board of Ed clamped down on them to avoid further violations of those students’ rights and presumably possible justified lawsuits. Some of those teachers had great reviews from past students…</p>
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<p>I don’t have much to say on this topic as of now, but want to emphasize this point made by cobrat. At my university, professors were completely oblivious about what standard of conduct was expected of them when it came to students with disabilities. The disabilities office was trying really hard to rectify that but there seemed to be some sort of disconnect and we couldn’t get the message through. I worked really hard on that while I was there and I don’t think I even made a difference. This unfortunately meant that not only were there many MANY professors whose behavior was utterly inappropriate (many knowingly), but many others who could have reached out to help but chose not to out of fear that they will break some rule they don’t know. It’s a major, major problem. Nobody knows the boundaries they are supposed to, and at least at my U there was no system of ACCOUNTABILITY short of a student initiated lawsuit should a professor decide to flagrantly violate the rights of a disabled student in their classroom. Some professors knowingly do this, because they know they’ll get away with it. Been there, done that. In my anecdotal experience, those professors are generally very well liked among the rest of the students. We can’t pretend how a prof treats the anonymous or semi-anonymous disabled student in the classroom is important enough to today’s college student to let that affect their perceptions of their professors. They just want a good grade and a good time. Nobody cares about the kids like me, not really. We’re merely tolerated in most classrooms. This is how it is.</p>