In this electronic age, nothing is sacred—not even the inside of a classroom. Turns out students across the country have been secretly taping their teachers (and often in a not so flattering light) and posting the videos on YouTube, according to this recent story by the Los Angeles Times. Many of the YouTube teacher videos, most taped surreptitiously by students with hidden cell phones, feature instructors losing their cool as they deal with unruly students. Search for “angry teacher” on the the popular site for sharing videos, and you’ll come up with a list of clips for viewing, including this one from a New Jersey high school (fair warning: this clip contains strong language). Lest you think it’s just crazy American kids doing this, a search of angry teacher clips comes up with a long list of images of unhappy teachers from around the world. On the other end of the spectrum, they’re a lot harder to find but a persistent searcher can locate some tributes to teachers, like this one about a math teacher who has inspired students for more than a quarter century.
In response to concern over clandestine taping as well as worries about cheating, some communities are banning cell phones in schools according to this overview in USA Today. However, parents in New York City, no doubt thinking of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, are worried about getting in touch with their children during emergencies and are fighting back. They’ve sued the school system over a ban on cell phones.