laughing rather ruefully

I have a student in one of my classes this semester - one in which I do field labs - who was in my Terrible Class of last spring. Said student was not part of the Terribleness of that class; in fact, she was one of the ones that made me think through figuratively gritted teeth every day I taught it, "I'm teaching it for her. I'm teaching this for her"

Anyway, we went on a field lab this afternoon. And driving back, talk turned to Other Classes Students Have Had, as it does.

And she started ragging about the Terribleness of some of the other students in the Terrible Class of last spring - how rude they were to me. How rude they were to her and some of the other diligent students. I admit I was cackling internally (HAH. JUSTIFIED.)

I did calmly remark that "they were in a different major that has different expectations, and also I know they were a group of friends and it's sometimes a really bad idea for friends to take a class together" but believe me, I was REALLY cackling inside.

She also commented that she and several others had *taken the students aside* and asked them to shape up because (a) it's really crummy to be so disrespectful to a prof and (b) it was annoying to them and it hurt their ability to learn, but they didn't listen.

And okay, I will admit I commented they were "really immature" but that was as far as I went. (You have to be careful. You really do. But I think "immature" is an  excellent descriptor and not one likely to get me in trouble.)

So it wasn't just me.

I'm just hoping the next time that class swings 'round again, I get a better crew. The crew in THIS particular class - the one my good student is in now - is an unusually good section of this class (and trust me, I have had not-good sections), so I hold out hope.