One thing I've seen a lot of my students doing, and it drives me absolutely nuts, is, when they're at my office hours or meeting with me for help with the classwork, if their cell phone rings, they'll pick it up and tell whoever's calling, "Yeah, I'm meeting with my math TA now, I'll call you back later." This is what voicemail is for! I've had to institute "if your cell phone rings during class, then unless it's a dire emergency, you are not allowed to answer it" rules in my classes, because apparently people don't know this.

(I had a cell phone in college. The only times I ever answered it during class were in the few days after September 11 when I was still waiting on the "they're OK" message on a few people, and once when my mom was in the hospital. All those times, I made a point of sitting near the classroom door because I knew I was expecting a call, and when the phone rang, I went out into the hallway to talk for a minute, then came back into class, and when class was over, I apologized to the professor for disrupting the class. I've had students in my class just sit at their desks and take a call.)

I've had students do that will cell phones in my class. I tell them they have two choices, leave the class and don't come back today, or take the battery out of the cell phone. If they are waiting on a call for a gig or something else, they just have to tell me before the class begins and make sure their phone is on vibrate. I also have the luxury of classes that are usually only 10-12 students.

Just got home from K-Bug's Back to School night. The first topic for each teacher was how parents can contact the teacher and how we can find out what the assignments are. Voice mail, e-mail, class web sites. We were encouraged to contact teachers with ANY questions.

This seems so counter to the discussions here earlier.

This seems so counter to the discussions here earlier.

Well, high school is different than college. I expect much more communication between parents and teachers in high school.

I know. Most of her classes are full of just seniors, so it almost gets parents into bad habits.

K-Bug is engaged enough that I don't really plan on contacting any of them. We did stop in and talk to one of her old teachers. She has asked him to write a letter of recommendation for college and he wants her to give a resume and a copy of her transcript before he will do anything.

I adore your relationship with K-bug, and I don't ever see the two of you becoming one of the really overinvolved dyads that never go independent -- the ones I worry about are the ones where the parents are still writing the kid's resume when s/he's got a Master's degree.

Shoot, I won't write her resume NOW.

Though, maybe I should get her to write mine.

Though, maybe I should get her to write mine.

I like your thinking. Mmm, spicy brains!

Ah, the joy and excitement of sitting in a hotel room watching horror movies on a laptop. It's even for work.

DREW! WHAT'S THAT BEHIND YOU?!?!?!?