Am I being obnoxious?

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Imagine someone trying to do an advanced guitar class when they don't even know what a chord is. Now imagine the teacher catering to this person. That is the situation I am in. I understand that she wants to learn this. Good for her. I applaud anyone who wants to learn. My frustration is she really needs the beginning classes before the advance.

I will try to be patient with her.

You are being obnoxious, but theres nothing wrong with that in itself, its a natrual reaction to stupidity, but, people cant help being stupid, so sometimes we have to give them a break, and find something interesting to think about while they catch up, otherwise the entire planet would be constantly swearing and throwing bricks at one another

Somone else suggested suggesting she thakes classes to learn what she has difficulty with so I won't repeat that.
I don't know where this woman lives but would it be possible for her to have a support worker/mentor in the class that can quietly support her. In my job I have a support worker funded by Access To Work (I live in the UK). She would need to be assessed as having a disability that requires it though. i.e learning difficulty, AS, memoery disorder etc. If not then could the college allow her to bring a friend for free to support her?

Maybe you could spend time with her in any break trying to get her used to file management. It is would be in aid of your own needs as much as hers.

I understand your frustration at being held back but unless there is a required standard of competence to start the class she has as much right to be there as you have.

Having people with widely different ability levels in the same class is a recipe for problems.

My wife attended a computing class. Another woman sat next to her and continuously pestered my wife asking her how to do this and that. My wife found the class difficult herself and found the endless interruptions putting her off. She told her repeatedly to ask the lecturer instead. However, she persisted. My wife even started sitting in a different place in the class and the other woman followed her! In the end my wife gave up the classes. The annoying woman had destroyed the classes for her. I assume the woman went on to annoy and pester someone else then.

I can sympathize with you. It's really up to the professor to take her aside if she's dragging the class down. Is she flirting with the professor? Just a thought. I only say this because my sister took a computer class and she was the only woman and she ended up having an affair with the professor. I have been in classes where I have been the one annoying people, not because I was asking dumb questions but because I have to be able to 'see' every step of the process before I can take it in. If steps get skipped, I have to have them articulated to me.

Oh how I wish she were flirting with the prof. I did talk with the prof who is helping me with a few independent study projects I have been working on today. From what he said, his hands are tied. I asked him if he would mind if she started asking very basic questions repeatedly if he would mind if I asked a higher level question to move the class on, such as asking a question that would be answered by the next topic on the syllabus. He liked that idea. She also came up while talking with a classmate, and I told the classmate what I planned to do (classmate was also annoyed). I told this classmate I'm not that good at reading people, and asked her to tell me if I am becoming too obnoxious.

I wish she would ask to bring someone to class to help her. I know the prof isn't against people sitting in on his classes. He is letting me sit in another class of his that I can't afford to take, and he knows this will be mutually beneficial, because I do help others around me.

I don't think it is so much an issue of a learning disability as it is lack of exposure to computers. I watched her trying to type tonight, and she was plucking at the keyboard. I understand wanting to learn this stuff, just learn the basics first. I wish she could be guided to the lower level classes, but I don't think the prof has that power.

I have been in a similar situation!

I took a technical program in a college, and I was one of the older students. Lots of the younger students had grown up on the computer.

They'd had a home, a computer, stability, and a chance to learn what they wanted to learn on the computer.

I grew up without a computer, with a chaotic home, my every moment was focused on survival - not interests- there was no stability, I learned nothing in school because I was consumed with the problems at home.

I grew up, became a young adult. Decided to try and make something of myself and so I went to college.

I was far behind the other, more privileged, kids. I also had to leave early so I could make it to the daycare before 6pm or be charged $5 a minute in late fees.

So this girl, that you're making fun of. This one who "annoys" you by asking questions you happen to already know the answer to - do you know her whole story? Did you ever stop to wonder how she qualified for such a program despite a deficit in computer knowledge? Did you ever wonder why she would choose a program she was already behind in?

Basically, are you thinking of anything but yourself?

Take a minute or two to just imagine the multiple scenarios that could lead to a person in your class asking basic questions. Ask yourself if that person - who is only trying to learn - deserves to be ridiculed for that.