Why do students feel a need to claim prejudice when they are told to be quiet in class?

Question

Follow up question: What is the best way to deal with such students?

Answer 1

They learn it from their parents

Answer 2

Sir, you are picking on me! Yes. It is your turn, so stop complaining. If I did not pick on you it would be discrimination.

Answer 3

Some students will claim prejudice any time you tell them not to do something or say something else they don't like.  I don't think there's any one right way to deal with it.  It depends how you deal with other things in your classroom.

If you think the students believe their own rhetoric you could have a discussion about what prejudice is and is not (if it's a school-wide issue, you might want to talk to other staff/ an administrator).  If being quiet in class is posted as one of your rules for everyone and is enforced for everyone, it will be difficult for students to argue logically that you are prejudiced. Hopefully at some point you have told them WHY they need to be quiet.

If you think they are just saying it and not believing it, you could just brush it off as the silliest comment you have heard, or tired of hearing that old broken record, etc.  Probably better yet to just repeat firmly that they need to be quiet and redirect, change the subject.   They are less likely to say this kind of thing if you are kindly but firmly in control.

There is actually some argument that having students work quietly and independently fits better with some cultures than others.  It is often cited that African Americans and Hispanic students tend to learn better in cooperative groups and through talking to each other.

Hope this helps!