Losing My Cool in Class Today....

Today was one of those days when everything feels off. In my class this morning, I caught a student texting under their desk during a lesson on the importance of attentiveness and focus. The temptation to lose my temper... was strong. But before reacting impulsively, I decided to take a breath... to let them finish their message. When they looked up, I gave them a stern but calm look and asked to see their phone. Their response was something along the lines of 'It's just for homework,' which I know is a common excuse... I had to confront my own hypocrisy then. A part of me knew that most people... including myself, use phones for more than just work-related stuff. It made me question whether I should be so hard on them... or if we need a different approach altogether. In the end, instead of punishing the student right away, I decided to have a conversation with them about responsibility and boundaries... It felt like an important turning point. Maybe it's time for me to adjust my teaching methods to better reflect modern realities without compromising discipline. This was just one day, but it made me realize there are many more conversations waiting ahead...