Hi Linda,
Do not tolerate this disrepect. These disrespectful students need to be reprimanded. You are going to have to make an example out of someone to let your students know that you mean business.
Patricia
Hi Lynn,
Cell phones can certainly be a big issue in the classroom. At my institution we have a no tolerance policy for cell phones.
Patricia
Before texting I used to have the students that had theirs on vibrate and would always check the number or the ringer would go off. I tried to do two things - one I highlighted the policy and told them that if they had a legitimate reason to have it on (such as a sick kid) the school said they could leave it with the front desk. Most didn't have legitimate reasons so they never did it. The other thing I did was talk about in my paralegal courses how I had seen a judge fine an attorney $50 (it was awhile ago) for his cell phone going off in court. I then told them I might not fine them that much the first time but would definetly do it the next time. I also indicated that in my business classes someone could definetly miss out on the next promotion if their personal cell phone went off in a business meeting. I think the real life examples helped them see how adults had certain expectations. I also individually spoke to any student that had one go off during class and we talked about being disrespectful. Usually the combination of strategies helped keep it a non issue.
