1 post tagged “rules”
Something that seriously bothers me is how bent out of shape students get about getting their cell phones taken away at school, how protective they are of this simple device, how entitled they feel about just having a cell phone in general. The thing is, it is absolutely clear that cell phones aren’t allowed in school because with the advent of texting, that’s all students do in class. I’ll give you that class can be boring, but high schoolers also have not developed the ability to minimize their disruption when partaking in calling or texting. And seriously, the school has be even more clear about the fact that they will confiscate a phone if they see it, so I can’t figure out why these idiot students keep bringing them into the school and then getting pissed when they get taken away. The thing is that the student in particular who is in the office complaining about it, or any students for that matter, could have easily come down to the guidance office and used one of our phones to make her call because we’re pretty chill about that sort of thing.
The student in the next room is legit crying about how they took her phone away saying, “They have no right to confiscate my phone,” to which the counselor replied, “Actually, they do.” The student’s response: “Well then I just won’t come to school anymore.”
Flawless.
Her solution to this situation is to drop out of school. Can I just call MELODRAMA on her ass? See, right here is why I am really glad I’m not a full-blown guidance counselor. The counselor next door is giving the student in question about five logical steps and solutions, but she is just sitting there and dismissing everything because being a hard-headed brat is somehow the smart route to take. And I’m not even playing that I don’t have the patience to deal with students who so obviously just want to complain and play the victim. It’s like one of my students who was looking through his backpack the other day and noticed his pack of cigarettes. “Ooooh no, they better not try to confiscate these.”
“What?” I queried. “Never mind .. I don’t wanna know.” (Don’t ask, don’t tell is in full effect in my office.)
“Something that I can buy since I’m eighteen.”
“You brought porn into my office? You’re a loser, get outta here.”
“Noooooooooo. Smokey smokies!” (i.e. cigarettes)
“Okay, so tell me why you have these in your bag.”
“I don’t know.”
“Because you know you can’t just bring cigarettes inside a school,” I continued. I don’t actually know if that’s accurate, but it seems to make sense.
“Well all I know if they better not take them away.”
“What were you planning on doing? Smoking them inside the school?”
“No.”
“So why didn’t you just leave them in your car?”
“…. I forgot?”
“Argggggggggg.”
