I just finished teaching a nine week online class. There was a student in the class who posted a number of angry responses to course materials and discussion forum comments from me and other students.
One of the things I enjoy about teaching online is the opportunity to slow a conversation down. When a comment is posted that is obviously coming from a place of anger or frustration there is an opportunity to read and reread it, taking time to understand and develop a thoughtful response. This kind of careful attention seldom happens in face to face interaction.
What I learned about this student through our interaction is that her anger and frustration were only tangentially related to the course content. She came to the classroom with a "chip" and the classroom became a place for her to act on her feelings. I was able to see this because I didn't get hooked and drawn into her pathology. I was able to remain detached and observe.
The student became the teacher.
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