Student refused to relinquish cell phone

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Classroom Management Chatboard

Student refused to relinquish cell phone

by Charity

Oct 24, 2011

I had a student today who had been warned several times in days prior to put her cell phone away. Today she whipped it out to show pictures to students around her. I walked over and said "I will take that, please!" and she said very loudly "NO WAY!" She is very confrontational and insubordinate so instead of engaging her in a power struggle leading to a "show" for the class, I I discreetly called for our dean of students to come down and and handle the situation in her office. Now I am second-guessing myself and thinking this may not have been the most effective way to handle the situation. I am curious as to how others would (or have) handled this situation AND I am seeking advice on how to proceed from this point as I am SURE she will have even more of an attitude tomorrow.

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Sara On 10/24/11, Charity wrote: > I had a student today who had been warned several times in > days prior to put her cell phone away. Today she whipped it > out to show pictures to students around her. I walked over > and said "I will take that, please!" and she said very > loudly "NO WAY!" She is very confrontational and > insubordin...See MoreOn 10/24/11, Charity wrote: > I had a student today who had been warned several times in > days prior to put her cell phone away. Today she whipped it > out to show pictures to students around her. I walked over > and said "I will take that, please!" and she said very > loudly "NO WAY!" She is very confrontational and > insubordinate so instead of engaging her in a power struggle > leading to a "show" for the class, I I discreetly called for > our dean of students to come down and and handle the > situation in her office. > Now I am second-guessing myself and thinking this may not > have been the most effective way to handle the situation. I > am curious as to how others would (or have) handled this > situation AND I am seeking advice on how to proceed from > this point as I am SURE she will have even more of an > attitude tomorrow.

I never ever take or try to take cell phones away - a teacher near here had his neck broken by an angry student after the teacher took the student's cell phone. And I wouldn't like it if anyone took my cell phone - there's something about cell phones that feels very personal and taking them away or trying to can be downright dangerous.

I say, "Put that away" and it's time to put that away or nice pictures but show them after class.

A lot can depend on what kind of relationship you have with your students as to what to do - and what kind of school yours is. Around here, our Dean would be very put out if asked to come handle a cell phone issue. But only by doing these things and learning from them, do we learn what works for each one of us.

When I was new, my next door colleague told me he confiscated all student notes and read them aloud to the class. So I saw a note being passed, took it, opened it and began to read aloud the note I took which said as I read, "Don't you think that vomit-green dress she has on today makes her look pregnant? And did you tell anyone I'm pregnant?"

I was wearing the vomit-green dress and I wasn't pregnant even if it did make me look that way and no way did I ever read a note aloud again or wear the vomit-green dress again.

You learn from your mistakes - if how you handled the cell phone issue was a mistake, don't do it that way and if you really want to own it and build bridges with students, tell the cell phone student that. There is nothing wrong and can be everything right when a teacher says, "It wasn't my intention to upset you or anger you. I did want the class to begin and I did see the cell phone as holding us up."

Oct 25, 2011

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Quit second-guessing yourself Kid broke the cell phone rule, and she was openly defiant to boot. You can't have that nonsense in your class, and on top of copping an indefensible attitude with you, she was wasting all the other kids' class time.

You did fine.

If you have students chronically texting or playing with their cameras, call Mom or Dad and explain wh...See More

Oct 26, 2011

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