Student Suspended For Answering Call In Class From Dad In Iraq

[IrishMist]

I'm a Navy brat and I have students who have a parent or parent(s) who are deployed. My military kids know if their phone vibrates (no rings in class), they can surreptitiously check their phones, give me a sign and they can be excused to the hall where they answer the phone, I confirm the caller, and they disappear to the bathroom.
If they get caught by administration, they know what happens. If I get caught by administration, I know what happens. None of us care. It's called civil disobedience. We will use Thoreau's work to defend ourselves. If we have to take the hit, so be it. It's worth it!

Yup! This is how I see it, too. Good for you, Pandora! :clap:

 

[Cypros]

I think suspension is harsh, but I agree with the school for strictly enforcing their their no cell phone policy. Cell phones in the classroom are getting out of hand. They ring during class, during tests, students are texting each other constantly and on and on and on. This is in a COLLEGE setting where the ADULT students should know better. But they don't because they are not being taught proper cell phone etiquette.

I have always been relatively relaxed in my rules regarding cell phones in the class room. I figure that it is easy to forget on occasion to turn off a phone before going into class and so I did not hit the roof if a phone rang during classtime. I would stop what I was doing an eyeball the culprit and tell him/her to turn the phone off. That was it. As the problem became more common I added a note to my syllabus that phone were to be OFF (vibrating phones are just as much of a disturbance to a classroom as ringing phones). This is apparently not enough. I am going to have to add that the phones need to be OFF AND PUT AWAY since many students seem to feel the need to have them sitting out on their desks during class. A few weeks ago I was attending another professor's lecture. I observed a student in the back with his cell phone out and he was sneakily texting and looking at something on the screen (email) during the lecture. I told him to put it away and he glared at me. LOL! Last week I had to take a phone away from a student who was blatantly texting while I was lecturing. When she came to pick up her phone she apologized but had some excuse about her mother.

This semester especially I have noticed students hopping out of their seats to go to the bathroom on a regular basis. I have never felt a need to make a rule about going to the bathroom during class before. I figured that they are adult and are mature enough to hold it for the length of a single class hour but if it was an emergency of course they should go. However, this wave of students seems to think they can come and go as they please and it is very disruptive, and I am sure that most of the trips to the bathroom are in fact to answer their cell phones. A few weeks ago I had a student hop up out of his seat and leave the room TWICE within 10 minutes. I went to the door and saw him return from the opposite direction of the bathroom. I asked him what was up and he said "My job keeps calling me!" Apparently taking a call from his boss is more important than the course content (and this is reflected in his grades).

These are just a few examples of the havoc cell phones have brought to the classroom. As this new wave of undisciplined and ill-prepared students rolls onto college campuses I find myself needing to develop a junior high school type disciplinarian style. Next semesters syllabus will have an entire page devoted to classroom decorum and cell phones will be a major focus of attention. I now have NO TOLERANCE POLICY.

I sympathize with educators in this issue. In the case of the boy who was suspended, if he was expecting a call of such importance that it was worth interrupting his schooling, is he should have stayed home and received the call there. That way he could have been relaxed and had a proper conversation with his father and he would not have had to disturb an entire classroom nor break the school's rules regarding cell phones. He could have gone to school after the call.

 

[TaylorJ4]

One of my coworkers was fired for repeatedly accepting calls from her husband in Iraq while at work....

 

[Paladin]

I like Pandora's policy.

 

[ttrachel04]

One of my coworkers was fired for repeatedly accepting calls from her husband in Iraq while at work....

are you serious??

that's HORRIBLE. that should be illegal.

 

[Paladin]

are you serious??

that's HORRIBLE. that should be illegal.

I dunno, it depends on the situation.

 

[JBean]

I'm a Navy brat and I have students who have a parent or parent(s) who are deployed. My military kids know if their phone vibrates (no rings in class), they can surreptitiously check their phones, give me a sign and they can be excused to the hall where they answer the phone, I confirm the caller, and they disappear to the bathroom.
If they get caught by administration, they know what happens. If I get caught by administration, I know what happens. None of us care. It's called civil disobedience. We will use Thoreau's work to defend ourselves. If we have to take the hit, so be it. It's worth it!

This is what I mean. The kid knew he could get a consequence but in the scheme of things it just doesn't matter because a suspension is a small price to pay for talking to is father.

 

[browneyes]

Maybe the son didn't stay home from school because he wasn't sure if his Dad would be able to call him on that particular day or not. I think it's a sad situation. I would have wanted my son to answer the phone as well.

 

[JBean]

Maybe the son didn't stay home from school because he wasn't sure if his Dad would be able to call him on that particular day or not. I think it's a sad situation. I would have wanted my son to answer the phone as well.

Hi Brownie.
It reminds me of the time my dh got a camera ticket for running a red light when he was on the way home from ER with one of the boys in the middle of the night. The boy was miserable and my dh was desperate to get him home and in bed. So he ran a red light knowing full well there would be a penalty, but it was well worth it. he did and it was and he would do it again.

 

[browneyes]

Hi Brownie.
It reminds me of the time my dh got a camera ticket for running a red light when he was on the way home from ER with one of the boys in the middle of the night. The boy was miserable and my dh was desperate to get him home and in bed. So he ran a red light knowing full well there would be a penalty, but it was well worth it. he did and it was and he would do it again.

Hi Miss Bean! Yep, we all make those choices at times in our lives....and we would do it again. I know I have done the same. :blowkiss:

 

[eve]

I'm a Navy brat and I have students who have a parent or parent(s) who are deployed. My military kids know if their phone vibrates (no rings in class), they can surreptitiously check their phones, give me a sign and they can be excused to the hall where they answer the phone, I confirm the caller, and they disappear to the bathroom.
If they get caught by administration, they know what happens. If I get caught by administration, I know what happens. None of us care. It's called civil disobedience. We will use Thoreau's work to defend ourselves. If we have to take the hit, so be it. It's worth it!

This is pretty much my m.o. at school, too, Pandora! Call me a rebel! I get some tsk tsks sometimes from other teachers but kids behave better for me because they know I am not checking my brain at the door of the school when I get here in the morning, I am using common sense and will advocate for them when it is justified. You have to pick your battles.

Eve

 

[sherri79]

This is pretty much my m.o. at school, too, Pandora! Call me a rebel! I get some tsk tsks sometimes from other teachers but kids behave better for me because they know I am not checking my brain at the door of the school when I get here in the morning, I am using common sense and will advocate for them when it is justified. You have to pick your battles.

Eve

i fear many teachers no longer think for themselves. we have rule books that think for us. today a teacher has a better chance of being sued than getting a award. it is nice to hear that as a teacher you still look at your students as individual people. i really hope you will not suffer for this.

 

[tempusfugit]

I'm a Navy brat and I have students who have a parent or parent(s) who are deployed. My military kids know if their phone vibrates (no rings in class), they can surreptitiously check their phones, give me a sign and they can be excused to the hall where they answer the phone, I confirm the caller, and they disappear to the bathroom.
If they get caught by administration, they know what happens. If I get caught by administration, I know what happens. None of us care. It's called civil disobedience. We will use Thoreau's work to defend ourselves. If we have to take the hit, so be it. It's worth it!

This is pretty much my m.o. at school, too, Pandora! Call me a rebel! I get some tsk tsks sometimes from other teachers but kids behave better for me because they know I am not checking my brain at the door of the school when I get here in the morning, I am using common sense and will advocate for them when it is justified. You have to pick your battles.
Eve[/quote

:clap::clap::clap:

My SIL is in USMC was notified that his unit will be leaving for Iraq again! He is the father of my 11 year old grandson, just recently my grandson was given a cellphone for his birthday in order for his father to phone him while away. My daughter spoke to his principle & his teacher regarding this matter, both assured my daughter there would be no problem. Like you, they understand how important a phone call from dad would be to him. Hat's off to both of you!!

 

[kelly london]

my husband been been stationed in iraq for five years and let me tell you....IF that phone rings and its him, i don't care where i am OR where our kids are - we are taking that call

 

[eve]

i fear many teachers no longer think for themselves. we have rule books that think for us. today a teacher has a better chance of being sued than getting a award. it is nice to hear that as a teacher you still look at your students as individual people. i really hope you will not suffer for this.

sherri,

I already do, but I don't care. Certain teachers are always trying to "nail me." It is almost comical to me. They are so young I could be their parents. What they really hate is my good relationships with the students. It seems to irk them no end. For the most part I just let it roll right off my back. So far I have always had the blessing of my immediate boss. But I am aware if there was a lawsuit, I would not get much administrative support. So I am pretty careful about the biggies - touching students, etc. Although I've been known to give a hug. If I'm to get fired for that, I will have quit first, believe me. Sue me, I'm a teacher, you can't get blood out of a turnip. I'd just blab to the press about all I know and write a book! LOL!

Eve

 

[absinthe]

I live in an area with a lot of Iraqi immigrants. When I saw the title of this thread, the first thing that came to my mind was was an actual Iraqi parent calling his emigrated son or daughter. Then I wondered if that would make a difference to teachers or employers...or does the parent have to actually be in the U.S. military? Is the virtue of being in a warzone enough? The things that come to my mind.

 

[czechmate7]

One of my coworkers was fired for repeatedly accepting calls from her husband in Iraq while at work....

are you serious??

that's HORRIBLE. that should be illegal.

I dunno, it depends on the situation.

I have to agree with Paladin....

 

[Kim Ii]

I LOVE Pandora's policy...:clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[curious1]

I'm a Navy brat and I have students who have a parent or parent(s) who are deployed. My military kids know if their phone vibrates (no rings in class), they can surreptitiously check their phones, give me a sign and they can be excused to the hall where they answer the phone, I confirm the caller, and they disappear to the bathroom.
If they get caught by administration, they know what happens. If I get caught by administration, I know what happens. None of us care. It's called civil disobedience. We will use Thoreau's work to defend ourselves. If we have to take the hit, so be it. It's worth it!

Yeah, I like that idea. You take the chance, you break the rules, you accept the consequences.

Here's where things get hinky....suppose Jrs dad was in prison instead of the miltary and he only got a 5 min window to makes calls and Jr really really needed to talk to his dad. Dad calls, Jr takes the call and gets suspended. Would we be so angry about it? I mean the kid was having a bad day he should have known he was just going to be adding to it. I don't fault him for taking the call, but he knew the rules and he broke them so just take the punishment like a man.

 

[ceeaura]

Yeah, I like that idea. You take the chance, you break the rules, you accept the consequences.

Here's where things get hinky....suppose Jrs dad was in prison instead of the miltary and he only got a 5 min window to makes calls and Jr really really needed to talk to his dad. Dad calls, Jr takes the call and gets suspended. Would we be so angry about it? I mean the kid was having a bad day he should have known he was just going to be adding to it. I don't fault him for taking the call, but he knew the rules and he broke them so just take the punishment like a man.

I took a few minutes here and thought about the prison thing.There is a bit of a difference though.A child who has a parent in prison can go visit their parent.While a parent serving in the military and deployed (usually in a different country) does not have that option.

Now if this young mans father was just away on a training excercise in the same state or even in a different one then the phone call could wait.

Just have to remember that these guys that are deployed family and loved ones do not see them at all for at least 6 months - a year (some cases even longer than that).