Phoned In That Criticism

(For my study of English, I have to take a poetry class. The teacher and I do not get along at all. At the last class we get our essays back, plus the evaluation of our class participation. The one on my paper makes me think he made a mistake so I talk to him during the break in our class.)

Me: “Excuse me, sir, but I see her that you noted that I was on my phone a lot in class…”

Teacher: “Yes, that’s true.”

Me: “Well… that can’t be true. I have nothing to do on my phone.”

(At this point I pull my phone out of my coat pocket. It is an old-style Nokia phone, and can’t do much else but text and call. I’m the only person in this class not to have a smartphone.)

Me: “So what exactly would I have been doing on this phone? It is a prepaid phone, too.”

Teacher: “Well, this is not up for discussion. My evaluation stands.”

(Thing is… I had made sure that for this class I would not open my laptop during lectures as he had said he would be grading us on participation… From then on during his classes I would just turn on my laptop as it actually helped me concentrate.)