What shenanigans do you really get away with in class?

Danielle Sorcher & Elizabeth Kilbride
Special Reports Director & Opinions Editor

Here at good old NCHS, classrooms are full of shenanigans. But the question posed to students and faculty alike was: how much do kids really get away with? From multitasking in class (yes, that means finishing that lab in period three English) to bad days and cell phone usage, here’s what students are up to and teachers are noticing.

Academics:
Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater; roaming eyes don’t get past teacher. “[There’s a] lot of looking at other kids’ papers while taking tests, lots of pretend stretches and eye wandering,” math teacher Jodie Buccieri said. “And at the beginning of class, a few kids who forgot to do [homework]or didn’t know how to do a couple problems copy from a neighbor.”

Sophomore Sally* also notices cheating in class. “I’ll see people’s hands on the inside completely covered with answers for tests and teachers definitely don’t notice that,” she said.

Then there are those who don’t have the attention span for a full 48-minute period–or apparently just have better things to do. “Doing another class’s homework in my class–that’s the obvious one,” French and Latin teacher Katie Spaulding said.

Yet senior Mike* wants to avoid the awkwardness of being caught. “I like sitting in front because it would be embarrassing if teachers caught me doodling or being distracted,” he said.

Horseplay:
One glance around a classroom and it’s clear that student funny business abounds. “I cannot believe some of the things I’ve seen in my career here,” history teacher Richard Webb said.

This range of “things” includes surreptitious eating. “If I’m eating something I’ll wait for [the teacher]to turn around and go to the board and I’ll start eating my chips,” senior John* said. “I will eat an entire lunch in a class. It tastes so much better in class.”

Some students use class time satisfy their cravings for tobacco products. “A lot of kids do tobacco products in class,” junior Sam* said. “My teacher caught me dipping in class once.”

Students also find creative outlets during class. “I color in my Sesame Street coloring book,” junior Jane* said. “I literally whip out a box of colored pencils and my coloring book and none of my teachers have ever noticed.”

Senior Gemma* said she often trades looks with friends across the room. “When someone makes a stupid comment or asks a stupid question, I look at my friend and we make fun of them.”

Students have to be especially stealthy when it comes to sleeping and leaving for a longer-than-is-physically-possible-bathroom-break. “I sleep and they hopefully don’t notice,” senior Bill* said. “Also sometimes you can leave [class]for like twenty minutes, especially during movies, and go to the library and talk to people.”

Romance:
Next time Girl sneaks a peek at Boy, remember it’s possible that Mr. Science Teacher is watching.

“It’s always entertaining from a teacher’s perspective to watch a budding romance in the classroom,” Mr. Remley said.

Mr. Webb has noticed the beginning of romances too. “I think I saw one today,” he said. “I watched a girl look at this guy, look away, look back and stare at him. It was the cutest thing in the world.”

“I think a lot of hookups start in school,” he added. “And you can tell a student who is obsessed with another one, because they stare at them all class long, all year long.”

Mr. Harvey said that romances can affect the way students portray themselves in school. “When it comes down to a romance thing, especially with girls, they’ll start changing their dress,” he said. “They’ll have one way of dressing and then all of a sudden they change their style.”

Sometimes romances can alter classroom atmospheres. “Occasionally on Monday you’ll have a hostility you never had, and that’s not just a Monday morning—there was a romantic issue over the weekend,” Mr. Harvey said.

Personality:
Teachers are not only attuned to sneaky cell phone usage, but they can also pick up on personal problems that translate into the classroom. “It’s obvious if students are upset or not focused,” Ms. Buccieri said. “If you try to help them and they get upset easily you can tell that usually there is something else going on.”

Ms. Clyne added that teachers really do care about students. “Teachers want to know if something is going on. We can usually tell by your face if you look upset or are distracted,” she said.

When teachers notice that a student may be having a bad day, they can be compassionate. “Sometimes kids will ask to go to the nurse when they’re just having a bad day, [and]need out for a while. I don’t ask questions about that,” Mr. Harvey said.

Teachers observe students personalities in general, as well. “Certainly we notice their personality quirks,” Mr. Remley said. “You can figure out which kids are a little more OCD about things being perfectly aligned and which ones don’t know their two shoes are tied together.”

Sometimes teachers also note hygiene habits–like unkempt nails. “[We notice] little things about hygiene that students may forget,” Mr. Remley said.

Technology:
As helpful as  technology can be—especially well-calibrated SmartBoards—cell phones, iPods, and the use of computers for unsanctioned purposes are not permitted in class. But does that truly stop students?

According John, “anybody can text in class. Normally I keep [my phone]in my bag so you can look down,” he said. “If they ask you, you can say you’re getting your planner or something.”

“I notice cell phones and take them away,” math teacher Kathryn Clyne said. “Particularly when it’s going on right in front of me. You can’t be too tricky in the front row.”

“I think a lot of kids are unaware that the desks don’t have fronts on them,” English teacher Evan Remley said. “When [students are]texting in laps it’s completely visible to me and it’s a very poor way to disguise anything you’re trying to do.”

Another abuse of technology in class is straying from Moodle during COW time. “People go on inappropriate websites in class, whether on phones or in [computer]labs,” freshman Steve* said. “I go on Facebook and my teacher never notices.”

Francis also uses his iPod in class. “Either I wear a hood or have long sleeves and I put the earbuds through,” he said. “My teachers never say anything. And one time I was really bored in class so I started taking pictures every time the teacher turned around.”

Get away with it:
Now for the ultimate question: how do students get away with all the tomfoolery?

Junior Joe* attributed it to the astuteness of different teachers and the cleverness of the kids. “What you can get away with varies depending on who the teacher is,” he said. “A lot of kids are really good at hiding it. Like for texting they hide their phones behind books.”

Bill gets a little more clever with his undercover texting to avoid being caught. “I’m left-handed so I can text with my left hand and pretend to write with my right,” he said.

He also believes age and time limit play roles in what teachers notice or don’t notice. “They’re old and also pressed for time so they can’t waste time on the little things,” he said.

Senior Jimbob* said it’s all about perspective. “”I think a lot of the time it has to do with what the teachers want to see,” he said. “The teachers are too focused on teaching class to notice [certain things].”

*Names have been changed