Back to School...

Is it too early for Back to School promotions? I guess not--it is already August 11th. The local newspapers have begun running their Back to School advice sections. One had a list of things to not put in your student's backpack. They listed items like tobacco and weapons. My list--sans the obvious:
1. iPod--iPods are certainly cool to own. They have an amazing capacity for songs and videos, but from my point of view, they are obnoxious in the classroom. Somewhere in our societal value shift, the idea that ownership rights somehow include usage rights. There are certain codes of behavior that I find silly--no hats for one--but banning iPods, that I would support.

2. Cell Phones--Last year, I had my cell phone (turned off) sitting out on my desk. A student picked it up and laughed at it. My phone is not fancy, it cannot take pictures, access the net, or detonate a charge from three hundred yards away, but I can make an receive phone calls on it. When I was in school--oooh, that sounds old--the only distractions we had were windows, TI-82 drafting calculators, and people we found attractive. Ah, the good old days.

3. Money Clip--Every year at least one student has a freak out session over a large amount of money lost. This year, a student lost the cash his mother had given him to pay off a fine for lost equipment. Certain transactions should be done with checks or debit cards. I have a hard time feeling bad for student who loses $100 in cash.

4. Make-up Kit--Seriously, I don't need to watch your daughter put on her make-up during my fifth period class; if it didn't look good by that time of the day, she ought to chalk it up to a bad day and start again tomorrow.

5. Hooded Sweatshirts--Listen, Obi Wan, we get it, you are mad at the world or too tired to pay attention; now, please remove the hood and wear a hat like normal people trying to announce their sleepiness.