Privacy 101

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:45:00 GMT

I find that embarrassment is a pretty good deterrent to continuing distractions in the classroom. Passing notes instead of doing work is one such distraction I tolerate only at a minimal level. I warn the students that I read everything I find on notes being passed around or found on the floor. I even suggest that I might share a few of the more interesting ones out loud with the class.

“In general, if you want to keep it private, don’t do it in class.” More than a few haven’t taken me seriously.

Such was the incident in a 5th grade class last week when three girls were fighting over a tiny address book in the back of the classroom. After an ignored warning to “knock it off and put it away” I walked back and confiscated it, telling the owner she could have it back after class.

Returning to my desk at the front of the class, I made a show of opening the book, turning the pages, not really reading lists of names, addresses, Face Book handles and email addresses of classmates. Every now and again I’d make non-committal comments like: “Hmm! Interesting!, Oh, wow!” while surreptitiously watching the book owner squirm in her seat. After a minute or so, I believed that I had made my point, was ready close the book and place it in the desk drawer until the final bell.

That’s when I turned the page and saw it! The sudden shock or surprised look on my face must have registered or maybe it was something I uttered under my breath but the kid knew I had seen it.

There, entered on the next page was MY personal email address!!!

Now it was me that had that stunned, surprised and *** all at the same time look. I didn’t want to over react in front of the rest of the class. I simply looked at the book owner and gestured that she should approach the desk.

When she came close enough, I turned the page and pointed with a questioning look.

“Where and when did you get this?” I whispered, pointing to my email address. Her explanation was simple and direct: “From the paper on your clipboard. I saw it when you were helping me with rounding up numbers in math.”

Sure enough, I see that part of my contact information on the end of day status report has slipped just a bit beyond the bottom of lesson plan that is on top.

There wasn’t much I could do at this point but to but cross out the email address and warn the girl that I wasn’t happy that she had copied stuff that she knew she wasn’t supposed to have access to without permission.

I normally try to end blog entries with clever quips or a summation phrase but…nothing comes to mind for this one.

Still stunned and *** I guess.

Search results matching tags 'life lessons' and 'g5'

Privacy 101