The perpetual interrupter
I have staff that come to me for things they should be able to handle and due tomy slight ADHD I get involved and then off task. I am working on saying no this is omething you can handle come tell me how it goes, if it isn't too important.
Wow! This happens to me all the time. I end up feeling rude for saying no and end up doing this anyway. I am pretty sure the staff knows I am a softy when it comes to doing these things so they kind of take advantage. At least it feels this way. I know that even in my direct department I have already stopped performing the tasks that other employees should be doing. Now I am getting questions on a process that they should have learned months ago. It seems a bit ridiculous that so many people still want their work done for them.
I think there will always be that person who just feels they need to tell you everything that they are feeling and really do not need anything from you except to listen. This to me is a time waster if it is another co worker. I personally have a problem with students telling me information that has nothing to do with school. They catch me in the halls and in class during breaks and they even slide it in while lecture is going on. Often it is important for the instructors to be caring to the student as well as the colleagues but at the same time let them know that if this is not something you need an answer to that I must finish a project that has a deadline. If that is not to short or rude. What else could a person gracefully remove them selves from the conversation.
Marian,
You may want to think of it as a form of flattery when students open up to you about thinhs they you would really not want to know. It shows they care.
One way to not seem rude is to hear the student out for a few minutes and then ask the student if he or she can come by when you have more time to listen becasue you do not want to feel rushed.
Most students will understand.
Our school has time blocks set aside for tutoring. Students do not take as much advantage of this as they should. When I have a student who wants to talk about non-class related issues I suggest he meet me in class during those tutoring sessions. If no-one else shows for tutoring we can just talk. This has worked out fairly well for me. On occasion I have to turn down the talk time in order to actually tutor someone who is there for that purpose. It is time that is already in our schedule so little time is wasted. I usually get grading done while talking with the student as well.
Andre,
This seems like a nice use of time. Well done.
This can be a problem in meetings - for me when I hold a meeting I give an agenda out prior to the meeting and ask if anyone has topics to speak on that is related to the topic of the meeting and then ask if there are other comments to add to the end of the meeting. Another way to handle this is to have somekind of item to hold in your hand when you or someone else has the floor to speak - it can be a pen, thinking stone, or other small item - this keeps everyone on track. It is also important to keep the meeting on the time scheduled.
I like the "thinking stone" idea. I think I will try that at my next meeting.
I have been having this problem lately in that I have many deadlines as we all do --faculty especially come in with many "personal items" that I know are impacting them as instructors and then can affect the classroom...I do need to say no and redirect --I am now setting time for this --I can't service the students with all the
time needed to listen..
In my observation, people interrupt because they either believe it will make them look better in your eyes, or because they are unsure of the next time they'll have your attention. Setting up a period of 15 minutes each day where that person can meet individually with you (or whatever time frame seems appropriate) and address questions, concerns, etc., has really cut down on the "you can do this on your own" category of interruptions.
It may not work for everyone, or for those people who are just so timid they don't want to make any misstep, but it's helped make some employees feel more secure where I've been.
Theresa,
This seems like a good plan. Do you find that 15 minutes is enough time for most people?
If it's someone I'd meet with everyday, then 15 minutes normally works. If it's someone I'd meet with once a week, then 30 or 45 is better because there's a bigger backlog of topics to discuss.
I have the same issue with a few of my students and it's to the point where the other students are annoyed even if they speak. What I tend to do is allow the student to speak but to make sure I redirect the conversation so that we can stay focused on the topic at hand.
Chanelle,
Students like this can be tough. You may want to consider talking to the student outside of class. It is also important to direct questions to individual students whenever possible so that you can "control" who is talking.
Jeffrey Schillinger
That is usually what I do but I tend to shy away from the angry students. But if it occurs again then I will know how to handle them.
I have used that idea before in my classroom. The agenda is great also and if you follow it and stay on track your people will soon understand that that is how things are going to work. Follow the agenda and give each person or dept,etc, their own time to bringup points or add to agenda ahead of time.
I have also found this to be a problem, but I have found the best way to handle these types of situations is buy finding out how important the subject is to the person that wants to talk to you. If the subject is important to them, then, being an Instructor, it is never a waste of my time. On the other hand, if they just want to shoot the breeze, or ask off hand questions just because they have extra time, I explain how valuable my time is and that I have a schedule to keep. You never want to just blow-off a student, it makes them feel unimportant.
I also get interupted by staff members through out the day. I try not to engage them by responding to the question. Instead I keep on working and say, "I'll get back to you." It has worked well. I then answer their question when I have time in between patients.
