How to deal with rude student?

[Teacher7676]

I chose to teach adults as I struggle with behaviour management of children, and now I just have small classes and very few issues.
I teach English as a foreign language and have one young woman (around early 20s) who is just quite rude.
Luckily I have only taught her once, but may have to teach her again in the future and plus it's a very small school.
In the lesson I had her she was whispering to another student (a male student she was flirting with). I think whispering is incredibly rude, and I'm pretty sure it was something about me.
They were also not listening to what I was saying.
She seems quite arrogant. I told her a rule in English, something about using the definite article, and she replied, "Sorry but you're incorrect." Even though I'm the native speaker.
When you walk past she doesn't smile or say hi, just has a look on her face as if she's better than you.
The male student she had been flirting with was in my class, he came into my lesson late and she walked past and let out a massive snigger, and he said "Why are you laughing?"
Just get a rude and bitchy vibe from her, but I don't feel in a position to "tell off" adults.
Nobody else is rude like that, we have some who are lazy and turn up 1 hour late etc. But they aren't sly.
Just feel uncomfortable about her and dreading having to teach her again, what would you do?

I'd understand more if it were a 14 year old girl, they can be very difficult

You’re in charge, she listens or she can do one.

Of course you can tell off adult students if they are disrupting your class. I would just say 'could you stop whispering please, it is disruptive and rude'. And if she carried on, I'd tell her to get out. The other students are there (presumably paying) to learn, why should she disrupt their class?

I wouldn't tolerate students coming in an hour late either - if they are late, they don't come in, unless they have previously informed you they will be late due to a doc appointment or something. It is basic manners. They can catch up the work and make sure they come on time for the next lesson.

If her bad behaviour continues, I would report her to who ever is in charge, and ask if she can be moved to another class.

Please don't confuse teaching adults with teaching children. No, you can't tell them off, but you can try and build some rapport with them. Involve her as much as possible in your lessons, be pleasant and relaxed.
When she said you were incorrect, I would have asked her to elaborate, and shown her some examples of the correct usage.

The snigger, you ignore; for the whispering, you set a ground rule at the beginning, restate the rule (can I have everyone’s attention please? Thank you: let’s focus on the grammar rule), if she continues ‘can I have everyone’s attention, please’ and if she continues, mention to her at the end of the class that silence is necessary when you are presenting to the class.

log it with whoever manages you, in case she complains.

What soer of school is this, is it private

She is an adult, but you are the teacher. I would have a private, but firm word with her about the whispering. Not much you can do about her looking down her nose, except a cheery ‘Good morning x!’. Don’t let her think she has got to you. Failing all else, ask her some diabolical question about the subjunctive or split infinitives.

If an adult is talking in one of my training sessions I'll go and stand by their desk and put my hand on it (depending on height). You're not directly telling them off but they'll stop talking.

Stop talking, cross your arms, lean back on something and wait until the room falls silent
Then wait for a bit longer until you can feel them getting uncomfortable
Then continue teaching

What nationality is she if you're TEFL? Is this in the UK or are you working abroad?

Thanks for all the suggestions.
She's French I believe, and we're in the UK

Technically we aren't supposed to let very late students in but the school allows them in regardless

What was her mistake regarding the definite article?

Just because she’s an adult, doesn’t mean you can’t say, “Françoise, I need you to stop talking please.”

Can you ask her, after the class, why she thought you were incorrect about the definite article? It's more straightforward in English than in French. And at the same time, tell you you have noticed that she is whispering in your class and request that she stops.

If she is disrupting the class, just ask her to stop whispering. If she doesn't, then ask leave. I'm sure she's irritating everyone else too.

Just because she's an adult, it doesn't mean you can't discipline her as you would any other student. (Although if you struggled with children, I can imagine you would struggle here.)

Is there another member of staff you can ask for support?

Were you wrong about the definite article?

If she does it again I'd ask her to wait after class and tell her she is being rude, and that if she continues she is not to attend your classes again. One warning.

I think you have a point about the whispering, as it can be disrupting to the rest of the class. Some of the other things you mention, not saying hello, coming across as rather arrogant, the look on her face etc., I'm afraid you'd better just try to develop a bit of a thicker skin. So she doesn't say hello, so what? Let her crack on.

I assume it's one of those expensive private language schools. Ultimately her behaviour will come back to bite her on the arse as she's spending a lot of money to study there and likely not seeing vast improvements, if she's constantly talking in class.

Some excellent suggestions up thread on how to deal with the whispering.

1. Surely the guy was also rude if they were whispering (especially about you) like you said?
2. Were you incorrect? If you were then she's entitled to raise it. And even if you weren't, if she thought you were then it's best she raises it so you can correct her understanding.

All this on the basis of one lesson?

And what sort of course is it that in a first lesson with a group you're giving them grammar rules? Were you wrong?

If you're in a private language school then, ask your DoS what to do regarding any perceived discipline problems. What is the school's policy? Don't the students have to have sight of a behaviour policy?

Yes I agree you can and should tell her to stop talking if it is interfering with your lesson. I used to learn a language in adult education classes. It was a pretty informal atmosphere but sometimes the teacher would ask for quiet when a private conversation went on too long or at a critical teaching moment.

I'm an ex teacher myself (of children). I dont see your role as being much different to mine. You are the teacher. You are in charge. Assert yourself.

Which will send the paying student to the head /owner of the school tout de suite. And it won't be the student kicked out.

Something about you? That sounds quite paranoid.
They were whispering. You ask them to stop.
Were you wrong?

No I wasn't wrong but it's just quite rude to say to someone 'Sorry but you're wrong".
It wasn't their 'first ever lesson' i didn't say such s thing anywhere.
I'll try to take on the advice given.

If a student made a mistake i wouldn't just say "you're wrong"