Sometimes You Just Have To Break The Rules

Packemin in cracking down on electronic device use. The kids have been told that if they are caught using one of these, it will be confiscated and returned only on Fridays afternoons to a parent.

I'm not big on confrontations so I have been reading them the riot act in hopes of not seeing these things and not having to make an issue out of them. So far, most of the kids have been pretty cooperative. If I happen to see one, I just tell them to put it away "before I see it."

I keep my own cell phone in my pocket at all times. I worry about my 84 year old dad who lives alone and would never call unless it was an emergency. I am all he has. While school rules should be obeyed, my dad comes before any of those rules and on the rare occasion my phone rings, I answer it.

Just as I got the last words out about the new cell phone regulations, my phone rang. I stopped mid sentence to answer it. The kids were silent. When I realized it was a wrong number and hung up, they got on my case for answering it. I explained my reasons to them. I also said I would be more than reasonable if any of them were in a similar situation. They forgave my indiscretion. One girl said "I hate my father. If he was lying on the ground, I would walk over him. Miss, you are so lucky." I then told them that I had the best dad in the world and I would do anything for him.

We ended the conversation and got to work. I won't worry about my phone ringing in that class again.

Flaunting It

When I was young and I did something wrong, I always tried to avoid the adults in authority. I never flaunted cutting or missing school. Today's kids are so different. Due to the nice weather, I have been leaving school during lunch to go out for walks. There isn't much around my school, just a couple of fast food restaurants. I was sitting in one yesterday when I heard, "Hello Mrs. POd." I turned around and saw one of my former students, who I knew had classes until 12th period (it was only period 6). When I confronted him about being where he was, he calmly answered, "Ms., it's my lunch period". I told him that I didn't care. We don't have an open campus and kids are not allowed to leave the building during their school day. He just shrugged his shoulders and kept on eating. He knew there was nothing I could or would do about seeing him outside. I saw the AP in charge of guidance in the same fast food joint. She "legally" takes her daughter and her daughter's friends for fast food lunches. She didn't say a word to any of the kids in the place. It is bad when kids flaunt their breaking rules. It is understandable when there are no consequences for breaking these rules.