It never ceases to amaze me what the students at my school choose to spout off over.

Today, I was walking up the stairs on my way to my third period class and a student had his cell phone out (a no-no). I asked him to put it away (vs. confiscating it like I’m supposed to do). After continuing on his way (and ignoring me), I pressed the issue to which he told me to get out of his face.

Later that same day, I walked out of my class only to see this same student speaking with the hall monitor who sits directly outside my room. Well, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity and so I asked the teacher the student’s name. He told me which prompted the student to launch into this tiring series of invectives and obscenities as he walked away from us. Whether they were directed at me, my teacher friend or both of us was uncertain since we were standing together. Irrelevant, I suppose.

In the end, I did write up the student and plan to speak with his grade-level team leader tomorrow. What shocked me is what started this whole sordid ordeal—his inflammatory response to me asking him to put away his phone. What it turned into, for me, was an internal monologue about what strange guidelines governing what gets classified as snitching in students’ minds.

Frankly, I can’t say I relate at all to this particular perception of snitching. I have had conversations about snitching on an abstracted level with students while we’re in class and they are working. For me it comes down to holding people responsible for their actions. I have to say that even when the students see my point they still consider it snitching. Baffling.

I have also gotten into discussions about this topic with other urban school teachers (since it doesn’t seem to factor in nearly as much for teachers in suburban districts). Not surprisingly, some of my colleagues throw the “culture” card thinking that just because “it’s the way of the street” that such a thing makes it proper or true.

Anyone want to share from his/her own experiences?