WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE

I am officially at the age when people say "When I was your age..."  Or at least I'm in the position, as a substitute teacher, to say such things.  Subbing for a middle school Pre-Algebra class, the inital question the students asked me was, "Do you know how to do this [Pre-Algebra]?"  My response, "I did back in the day."  I wish we had a computer system hooked up to our memories that allowed us to look up the folder in which certain memories or past information is stored.  For example, I could go to the 7th grade, Pre-Algebra folder and find the stored information, allowing me to remember everything I learned at that time.  I wish this existed rather than the faint memories I have of fuzzy algebraic-type expressions that I haven't even thought about since my freshman year in college.  Sorry, kids.  I'll try to help but can't make any promises.

I also had an interesting debate with some high school students last week about cell phones in school.  I am COMPLETELY AGAINST students using--or even having--cell phones on school property.  The boundaries become blurred the more they are allowed to "just text" or "just listen to music with one ear phone in" while at lunch or in-between classes.  There is no need for a cell phone at school.  What if there is an emergency?!  Use the office phone.  Come on.  This is a battle a teacher should not have to fight, but I do every day.  Moving on....One student proceeded to ask, "Well, did you get to use your cell phone in high schoool?!"  My answer, of course, shocked the kids at how old I truly am, "We didn't have cell phones when I was your age."  A collective *gasp!* filled the classroom.  With a sigh, I explained that cell phones existed but were not something that all kids had.  They were for emergencies.  My parents had one, and I got to take it when I was driving somewhere far away or was on a softball trip...again, only to be used for emergencies.  More blank stares with being completely baffled by such a thought.  Yes, I am offiicially old in the eyes of 10th graders, who think not having a cell phone is the most ridiculous thing in the world.  I am offiicially at that age when people say, "I miss the good ole days when..." and "When I was your age..."