It Was My Mom Texting Me

This is the second time I have confiscated Tina's cell phone during choir practice. She had a toothache and was texting on her phone. At first she said it was the oragel she was holding in her hand.

I said: How about what's in your pocket? MissD always knows.
She said: It was my mom.
I said: I don't care if it was God. You should not be using your cell phone during class. And God wouldn't be texting you because he knows you have class.

Lucky me, they all decided not to sing.
A student: We don't like what you said. It was stupid. What if it's an emergency?
I said: Then you would be allowed to use your cell phone.
Student: How do we know if we don't check?
I said: You shouldn't check, but if there is an emergency here, then you would be allowed to use it. Also, if you don't feel well enough to be in class, Tina, then you should let me know and the nurse needs to know so that you can be released.
Student: We don't like what you said. It was stupid.
I said: I apologize if I offended you. I was emphasizing that it doesn't matter who it is. There are proper chanels to go through and the office should know what is going on.

I also pulled Tina aside to explain this to her again. As an adult I have classes during which I do not use my cell phone because it is rude to do so. When I asked if she understood, she nodded yes.

Perhaps I will take the time tomorrow to explain what constitutes an emergency situation at school that would allow the use of cell phones, but from my understanding, an emergency is a campuswide event like Columbine, VA Tech, 9/11, lockdown, flood, fire or campus closure.

The real problem came after school when the one of the Secretary 1 was being honored for classified employee of the year. She locked everything up before she left and a retired lady is subbing for because she knows how things run. She doesn't have a key. The Secretary 2 is out taking care of her son who needed surgery on a broken foot. The result, the phone was locked up. The parent was irate.

I don't pay for my daughter to have a cell phone for it to be locked up all night. I'm going to the district office to complain. Teachers shouldn't say those things.

Whatever. Bring it. I'll be filing a rebuttal. When I told a friend on the custodial staff what happened he said, Amen. God wouldn't be texting you in the middle of class.

Texting isn't all fun and games

Every kid seems to have a cell phone. Mainly they are texting each other. They ought to have phones that are text only just for teens and tweens. Texting is so pervasive that I have started to joke with my students, Next time I'll text you. Then you'll have it. to alleviate the constant questions of Where are we? What page? Huh? or to let them know it's time to start class.

But sometimes texting can be serious. Why would a mother text her 12 year old child to let her know that her grandmother has passed away??? I didn't have that child in my class, but some of my students ended up walking that child to class and were late to my class. I was upset because these students have a little bit of a lateness problem, and about half my class was late that day. Honestly though, I appreciate that they were so sensitive to another child's pain. That level of sympathy doesn't often happen with junior high kids.

Maybe my parents were different. They would have waited until I got home so they could hug me and console me. Heck, even the miltary is different. They would never text you to let you know that someone special had died. They send someone to your house to express their sympathies. A text message has no regard for where you are or what you are doing. What a crushing blow to a child. Some parents just don't think and we teachers are left to pick up the pieces.