My vocational school district has asked me to run a computer science class until they can replace the teacher that retired. It will be a 3-4 week job. Monday I introduced myself to the classes and told the students (11-12th grade) that I go by the school policies including no cell phone use in class. Monday, I had to constantly ask students to put away their phones. Tuesday the same. Today I talked to the principle and told her about the problems I was having with the cell phone. I was told that I was brought in as I have a reputation of running a fair but tight ship and they back me 100% however I want to handle it.

So today I told the students if cell phones are out, I will take them until the end of class. If I have to do this, starting tomorrow they will all have to surrender their phones on arrival. Ten minutes after the first group came in I had to ask a student for his phone. He refused, I sent him to the office. The student was sent back, I got a call telling me if the student doesn't immediately give me his phone he will be suspended. 10 minutes later a student sitting next to the first one has his phone out texting.
Me: Can I have your phone?
Him: But I was only texting my girlfriend.
Me: Can I have your phone?
Him: No, I wasn't using my phone I was texting.
Me: Okay, go to the principals office.
Him: No.
Me: I call the principal, she and the vice principal come down and take him out of the room.
Again, I get the call, same thing, make sure he hands in his phone the minute he walks in the door, he knows he will be suspended if he doesn't.
He walks in the room texting and asks if he can put it in his pocket?
No.
5 minutes go by, he walks up to my desk and looks to see if he has any texts.
Me: What are you doing looking at your phone?
Him: I wasn't, I was just checking for texts.
Me: You were on your phone.
Him: No I wasn't, I was just checking for texts.
He is now suspended for 3 days. WTF do these kids think sometimes? This is a computer coding class with college credits that they pay to take ( if you don't want the college credits there is no cost to the student). I truly feel bad for the other students trying to get their work done and have to listen to this going on.
At least the Administration doesn't put up with the nonsense and is glad I'm getting the class back in line. The teacher that had this job and knew he was retiring let them get away with every because he didn't care anymore.

WOW.

Interesting that they view the phrase 'using phone' to exclude texts.

Odd that the other teachers are not consistent. Seems the students should have known the rules and expectations. Good to hear the administration backs your actions.


So, tomorrow do you start class by saying: Thanks to Mr. X and Y, please turn in all phones. You can retrieve them at the end of class.

Small wonder my wife stopped teaching

Tomorrow I will simply ask all phones be put in a box I am bringing in. I told them today the past is the past, every day is a new day and you now know what I expect. They now realize I don't bluff.

It's not just in class. I was waiting for my case to start last month and some young idiot was at the front having his case heard and was texting and the judge had to tell him three times to put his phone down. In the end, he got belligerent and rushed towards the judge so he got a few days with no phone. The other defendants in the courtroom promptly put their phones away.

Wow.

OTOH: I'd be disinclined to hand over my phone because of other's bad behavior. On approaching the classroom I'd put it on DND, assuming the teacher is hardly going to pat down the entire class each day.

They are all addicted to the damn things. 24/7 man. This is extremely common so get used to it. It will never stop.

Harvey Weinstein got in trouble for being on his cell phone during a court appearance. The Judge was pretty pissed.

Had a college professor state, on the first day, "for the mid-term and final exams, everyone will be required to place there phone on my desk to get a test. If you do not own a cell phone, borrow on."

Of course then I, sitting in the back of the class, see one of my classmates pull out a second phone during the mid-term and use it to cheat. I called him out about it. As fate would have it for him, I sat in an interview for a position he wanted.

My county vocational district has 7 high schools. Although the phone policy is district wide, almost all of the schools let the individual teacher decide what their classroom policy is. In our 3 schools that the students attend all day (acadamies), I find most teachers allow students to listen to music while doing independent study. In 3 schools that the students are what we call share time, meaning they come from their town high school for 2.25 hours of vocational courses, cell phones are not allowed. Currently I am at a share time school.
In the last school, Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) or jail, I cannot enter with a cell phone.

My wife is a high school teacher. Here's her system:



She has a clear plastic multi-pocket shoe rack hanging on one wall of her classroom. Each shoe pocket has a numbered index card in it (1 through 30ish), corresponding to the attendance roster number for students in each class period.

As the class comes in for each period, every student is required to put their phone into their assigned numbered pocket. My wife then uses that chart to take roll for the day, with any visible numbers (due to an unoccupied phone pocket) denoting a student that is absent that day. The phones are required to remain in these pockets until the bell rings to dismiss for the next period, with the students collecting them as they leave class.

Any kid caught attempting to game the system, like bringing a second phone or trying to sit in class without putting their phone up, results in them being written up and sent to the office.

This system has works well, since it prevents her from having to spend every period constantly making kids put their phones up, and makes taking attendance faster and simpler.

I have seen some teachers do that in their class. This is the longest assignment i have done in the 4 years with the district. Typically a day or three, then to another class or school.

Question for RogueJSK: Does every student have a phone? How does Mrs. JSK handle it if a student does not have a phone?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Question for RogueJSK: Does every student have a phone?

Yes, every student has a phone.


But I'll ask her tomorrow what she does if for some reason a kid were to not have a phone.

In a welding class I was in, we had the students out their phones in an empty Milwaukee cordless drill metal tool box which got locked. Later in the day I found a student texting. He had put one of his old not activated phone in the box.
Seldom do students not have a phone. Some can't afford them, and some get taken by parents as punishment. I had one student tell me she was mad at me because she was acting up in class and her mother took her phone for a week. And this was at The Academy of Law and Public Safety (Alps) where the students wear uniforms and want to be police, firefighter, etc.......
It is run on a mild version of a police academy.

It’s not just class. A good portion of my employees are just out of high school, or early 20’s. It’s time for me to have “the phone talk” again.
I make it clear that you can use your phone, in case of emergency. If something is important in life and you have to answer once in a great while, go ahead. Wife texts and says “need anything from the store?” Go ahead and text back, if this is an irregular occurrence.
If you have your phone out all the time, everyone will lose the privilege, and everyone will know they lost that privilege because of you.

None of these people would ever survive working in a SCIF. I, as a visitor, am required to surrender my phone (placed in a locker) prior to entering. My son-in-law is unreachable during the course of his work day.

There's a large truck stop/convenience store/gift shop here in Texas that pays above average wages. Their cell phone policy is you can't use one period. Emergency calls will be taken by a receptionist and relayed to the employee. If you're caught with a phone in you're hand you are written up, a second offense gets you fired. They enforce the policy vigorously. With today's employees I'm shocked that anyone remains employed for a full day.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Question for RogueJSK: Does every student have a phone?

Yes, every student has a phone.


But I'll ask her tomorrow what she does if for some reason a kid were to not have a phone.

You ought to. My kids are not provided a personal phone until I'm satisfied they can handle it. As things are now, my 13 year old daughter will get one before her 16 and 14 year old brothers will.

Today the phones went in a box. About 1 hour into the class I found a student taking his phone out. I called the principal and told her the student was coming down. She told me he will be suspended for 3 days. As the student was leaving, he turned to me and said " wait until my mother comes in, you are in trouble". I responded that I was looking forward to seeing her.

Back in my day.......

I'm 43, graduated in 1994. I was running three businesses while in high school and had a bag phone in my locker. I could check it between classes or during lunch.

I was the only person in the entire school, including staff, with a portable cell phone. Now it seems that half of the elementary students have them with the majority of them once they hit middle school.

I used mine for business purposes, and was on it rarely. Now every kid has their face buried in one 18 hours a day.