It was a hot and humid day in San Francisco, California. Mr. Roberts’ fourth grade class was learning all about fractions. Usually the kids were quite well behaved. They didn't speak out of turn, and they didn't interrupt. They, all around, were good kids. However after christmas break ended he noticed a change in the learning atmosphere. More than half of the kids had gotten cell phones.

Usually they were not a bother, the rules were respected. They were simple: “No texting during class, No playing games, and No loud Music”. The last one, which seemed to be the one the students liked the least, was broken quite often. In the beginning it was simple things. The beginning of well known songs filled the air during classwork time. Ringtones would go off in the middle of lessons. Today, however, it was getting to be too much.

The phones were going off like doorbells were located at every desk. Then a few children began to play songs, he couldn’t tell which sound was coming from where. That is until one student, Oliver Moore, brought his phone out from under the desk and began to blast a song. Now Mr. Roberts was thoroughly annoyed. He decided to speak to Oliver calmly after class, once he had confiscated the phone.

He went over to his desk and held his hand out for the phone. “Turn it on silent and hand it over Mr. Moore.” He waited for the phone to be in his hand, except it wasn’t handed over. He calmly grabbed the phone, turned it off, and confiscated it. “See me after class.” Oliver soon began to pout and you could tell he, in return, was equally annoyed. “You can’t just take my phone like that!”

He turned his head to face the young boy. “I’m sorry, but you were disrupting the whole class.”

Oliver didn’t like this reaction. He wanted to have his phone back, and he wanted it back now. “Give it back!” He said in a one that was anything but kind, or respectful.

There are two ways that this situation could go one of two ways, let’s look at them. “No,” Mr Roberts stated calmly and turned back to the board for the lesson. Oliver knew he had two reactions. Let’s see the first one.

“You have to give it back to me, it’s my property.” Oliver was mad and he wanted Mr. Roberts to know that. “One more outburst and i’ll have no other option, but to send you to the office.” This was the final straw, but Oliver wanted his phone back.

“Give it back. Now!” This was enough. “Go to the office.” Oliver collected his things and walked to the office down the hall. “FINE!” he yelled. After getting to the office he waited to speak to the principal and mr. Roberts. The situation was handled, and Oliver got a phone call home, and his phone was taken for two weeks.