11.17.10 - 7:00AM
- by
Jay Hathaway

Cornell Professor Rages at Students for 'Overly Loud Yawns'

topic:
Videos
Busted!

I've had some intimidating professors, but none as scary as Cornell professor Mark Talbert, who recently lost his temper at a student over repeated loud yawns during lectures. Only the professor has a microphone, so you can't actually hear the yawning in a video of the incident that's now making the rounds via YouTube.

Without knowing how loud or disruptive the yawns really were, it's hard to gauge whether the professor overreacted by screaming at the class and demanding that they turn in the mystery yawner immediately. I think calling the yawner "the one loser who has to do that when 220 other people know better" and telling him to "get up and walk the hell out" might be a little harsh, though.

Was the lecture boring enough to be yawnworthy? All we have to go on are the two words Talbert yells just before the video ends: "a kilobyte!" I really hope that "a kilobyte" replaces "but anyway" as the phrase to use when you realize you're ranting and decide to return to normal discussion. I also can't wait for the inevitable auto-tuned remix of this classroom tirade.

via:// Reddit
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11.17.10

By A parent

Neutral

There already is an auto-tune remix: http://www.ivygateblog.com/2010/11/cornell-student-yawns-in-class-professor-loses-his-mind/

11.28.10

By JD

Neutral

are you kidding me? Mr. Professor: you were well within your means to have made a statement to the class about your displeasure of one's rude (accidental) act of yawning out loud. But THAT'S IT - MOVE ON! Your overly dramatic (laughable) quote about your BAD SIDE and the rest of your commentary is not needed - who cares! Teach the class and leave it at that. The cost of an education at Cornell is not worth listening to you spew your attempted power trip on young adults. Will that be on the exam?

11.28.10

By Ali

Neutral

What a loser. That's not even ok by standards in the age of the telegram... he should get up and walk the hell out.

11.28.10

By Damajah

Neutral

Are you kidding me? This guy STOLE valuable teaching time to rage at 220 students, and then tried to get them to rat on each other? Is this how adults are treated in college? These people are paying good money to sit packed in a classroom to hear some gashole rant about someone who yawned in class? We know what's going to happen. The guilty party is going to run up and apologize, but some of the students are going to file complaints against the professors conduct, and HE is the one who will end up apologizing. He may be a subject matter expert, but he knows jack about teaching or respectig his students. You NEVER threaten the entire group for the actions of a few...NEVER.

11.17.10

By Anon

Neutral

I understand that the yawn may have been loud, but you are a professional and as such you need to uphold a certain standard. By trying to punish the whole class you are acting like a two-year old, why don't you just throw yourself on the floor and flail while you're at it?! I mean really if I'm paying $39,666.00 (just tuition) to attend your university and I'm sitting in the front of the class and you tried to threaten me like that, you sir would be out of a job, tenured or not. There are much better ways to deal with distracting students, maybe if you took what you taught an applied it to yourself maybe you would have had better self control. I now know by watching this that you are just some elitist troglodyte who needs to get over himself.

-Oh and you owe all the rest of the 220 students a refund of their time spent with you, as you have taken 2:29 of their paid time for you to TEACH not to spend on some self fulfilling witch hunt.

-So lets see how much you owe....according to resources the average per credit hour at Cornell is about $925. If that is a three credit course that would make it $925*3 for that class which would be $2775 for the whole semester.

-Classes go from August 25 to December 17, that's 82 days, not counting holidays...with holidays let's say 77 total teaching days. However since that class only meets three times/week then you are teaching 3/5 days or 60% of the total teachable period. Therefore 77*.60 = 46.2 let us say 46 days of teaching.

-At 46 days, let's assume 50 min. sessions. 46*50 = 2300 minutes of total teaching time.

-Taking the $2775 devide by total teaching days which we found to be ~46 days, $2775/46 = $60.33 per 50 min. session.

-Break that down to cost per minute....$60.33/50 min = [$1.21/minute cost]/student.

-So at $1.22/min and you wasted ~2.29min, that means you owe EACH student (1.22*2.29) = $2.79/Student!!

-Extrapolate that out to 220 students...$2.79-220 = $613.80

That is how much you owe that entire class! congratulations for dumbing down our educational system!

11.22.10

By maggie

Neutral

I thought the Cornell Professor who shouted at his students for yawning was right on. Someone has teach kids some manners, and if it is not coming from home, well, Kudos to those who have the guts to do it in public.

11.28.10

By LA

Highest Rank

I'm sure this was not the only incident that set this guy off. Most likely, these seemingly "slight" distractions have been going on all semester, and this was just the breaking point for this professor. It happens in my courses as well. You try to overlook all of these annoyances, but truth be told, for a professor this type of behavior can be very distracting and frustrating.

Professors are not dancing monkeys who are here to entertain you. It is your responsibility as a college student to learn the material, and to pay attention in class, even if you think the material or the class is "boring." So, yes, stifle your yawns, pay attention, and stfu.

11.28.10

By calabaza00

Highest Rank

This probably was not an isolated incident in this class. It most-likely has been going on all semester, and this was the last straw for this guy. It happens all of the time. These seemingly small annoyances are in fact incredibly annoying and frustrating for a professor.

Your profs are not dancing monkeys here to entertain you. Regardless of the fact that the class or the material may be "boring," it is a college student's responsibility to come to class and to pay attention. So, yes, sit down, put your cell phone away, pay attention, and stfu.

11.28.10

By Janet Makrs

Neutral

I am appalled at this professor's bullying behavior. He harasses and screams at an entire class of students because one student is yawning loudly. Following a line of reasoning, that might be annoying to the entire class, but none of them have the "power" to scream about it.
The Professor proceeds to verbally attack an entire class of individuals because ONE has offended him. He screams that he will not tolerate "impolite" behavior. From where does he draw this arbitrary power, that he can over ride an expected simple standard of good behavior and verbally assault an entire class because he himself feels offended. Elevating the assault, he screams at the class to turn in/point out the person who is responsible for this loud yawning.
OK, if someone is being hurt, we teach our children to "turn in" that person. I for one, would never encourage my children or grandchildren to "turn in" someone who has offended another because of this type of behavior. As the teacher walks up the aisle to listen to a female student indicate that the sound came from "somewhere back here," I wonder about that individual student's ability to stand up for and protect herself. She has succumbed to the emotional haranguing of a teacher. Sneeringly announcing that his bad side can be just as good as his good side just elevates the level of intimidation.
The man teaching this class is a perfect example of a self centered, 'I get what I want' bully. I would think that Cornell University would be able to hire a person better suited intellectually and emotionally to teach this class. This is one of our nation's finest university's and to this is what intellectually gifted students are subjected? One would think professor 'don't offend my sensibility' should be out of a job.