Students say cell phone ban doesn’t ring true for teachers
October 31st, 2005 | by amarfresh |BostonHerald.com reports that the in-school cellphone ban does not apply to teachers.
“It happens all the time,” said Charlestown High School freshman Amy Gomes, 15, of teachers’ ringing phones and in-school parleys. “If their cell phone rings, it interrupts the class. If the rule isn’t the same for them, it’s not fair.”
I love it when kids cry “not fair.” As an adult (at least by age), I can tell you what’s fair and what’s not fair. (That can be a whole other blog.) Certainly a teachers’ ability to use cell phones is not one of those things. It is no secret that children’s cell phones are a source of distraction for the entire class. They are students, they should not be able to compare themselves to teachers.
The article indicates that Boston teachers take phone calls during class. That is completely unacceptable. Teachers should lead by example. Although I feel that teachers, being adults and professionals, should be allowed to have them and use them on their free time and at their discretion; they should be put in check if they take up already limited class time for personal calls. My fiance, who is a high school teacher in NJ, powers down her phone during classtime. Bottom line, they are there to educate; she knows it and so should every other teacher.
No one really needs a cell phone; and no one needs one in school; certainly not students. Generations of high school students have graduated without them, I don’t see why they are absolutely necessary now. A luxury- sure, a distraction- definitely, a necessity - no way.
While it is interesting that teachers in Boston are acting unprofessional via their in-school cell phone useage; I think the journalist would have better served the public, Boston, and the readers with a real story on the problems of public education (say NCLB, funding, teacher contract issues, enormous class sizes, lack of supplies, the list goes on.) This article probably speaks of few teachers in the entire Boston school system, shining a bad light on all teachers and administration; as if their job isn’t hard enough. How much cred can you give to an article which quotes 2 high school freshmen (who have been highschoolers for all of 2 months). Way to go Kimberly, see you on 60Minutes. Who put you up to this article anyways?
One Response to “Students say cell phone ban doesn’t ring true for teachers”
By Easton Ellsworth on Nov 2, 2005 | Reply
It’s refreshing to hear someone say that cell phones are not a necessity - although in the minds of many they certainly are! I’ve lived without a cell phone for as long as possible, and I’m sure that once I cave in and get one I’ll feel attached to it. However, there’s something to be admired about people who recognize that it’s not life-threatening to go without a cellular phone.