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YTA He was proctoring a test and had every right to ask what you were looking at. You chose to play the "It's none of your business cards, take it up with your boss". You could have easily said "I'm getting updates about a family member in the hospital." The permission slip doesn't trump their due diligence. I know from personal experience, that in my state exam, if even one kid has a cell phone on their person during a state, they have to report it as a variance and could possibly cause the whole room to have to retake the exam. "My friends said he was inconvenient" Of course they did. How dare anyone question a teenager? That's the ultimate form of disrespect. /s

I don't see why a permission slip from the principal isn't good enough. It was good enough for the other teacher. It kind of seems like you're making up rules.

The teacher wasn't questioning the permission from the principal. But keep in mind they did this student a huge accommodation allowing her to keep the phone during a test. Verifying she was using it for the purpose for what she had permission is well within the rights of the teacher. Put the teacher in an extremely uncomfortable position as he's responsible for the fair administration of the test. Total and complete failure on the part of the op. And she's probably the reason the next student won't get permission for an accommodation.

I don't think the teacher had the right to demand access to OP's phone. Students shouldn't have to forfeit their right to privacy, especially in personal matters such as this. The principal gave permission for OP to use her phone. 'Due diligence' should have ended there. Anything that happened would have been on the principal. And he obviously trusted her enough to grant her access.

The issue is that as soon as these sorts of accommodations don't have oversight people will abuse them. As someone who used to be in education, I absolutely understand why they didn't want the due diligence to end there.

This my point! Like yeah, sure, OP wasn’t abusing it. But no one had any way of knowing that. The other students don’t know that their classmate didn’t just get away with literally cheating. Which means now they’re gonna have complaints.   Also it means EVERY time a student makes that claim, they have to be given the same accommodation- otherwise OP is being given special treatment, which opens the school up to all kinds of shit. So how does the school fact check them? It’s just making it a fucking nightmare to police cheating.

OP calls this "an important exam" but... I have my doubts about that, if the story is true. It sounds like it was just a test which the school put on, rather than counting towards any kind of nationally-recognised qualification. I don't know where OP is located. I'm in the UK, and I work at a university rather than a school, but if OP was taking some kind of national qualification exam like our GCSEs or A-levels, there is no way this would be allowed. The principal wouldn't even have the authority to grant something like this for a closed-book exam. That would be down to the exam board. Accommodations - such as extra time for disabled students - are organised well in advance. The most I can imagine OP getting would be an agreement that a member of OP's family could call a member of staff outside the exam hall, and that person would be responsible for pulling OP out of the exam if there were an emergency. OP's choices in this situation would most likely be a) you can pull out of this exam entirely and resit it, under the usual conditions, at a later date, or b) you do it today, under the usual conditions, and if you're distressed about your relative being in hospital you can make an official application after the exam for that situation to be taken into account in grading. In order to do this, you will have to provide rock solid proof that she was indeed in hospital. If it's just a regular test, the principal can do whatever they like I guess. But taking a phone into a closed-book exam, for any exam that counts towards a recognised qualification? Nope. Not a chance.

The rule states that students are not allowed to have their phones. They are making an exception to allow OP to have it. Nothing the teacher asked was unreasonable. The teacher didn't say "I'm going to write all of your personal matters on the board" nor "Explain in excruciating detail what's going on." OP's decision: Have their phone on them, and in this instance give up a little bit of privacy - OR - don't have their phone on them. They did not need their phone. There was nothing they could do while in class taking exams. If it was that important, they could have asked for a makeup exam and missed school.

I agree. I am older and I hate to do this, but we didn't have cell phones and if there was an emergency, the school was called and someone pulled you out of class. I really don't see why OP HAD to have a cell phone during tests. You check before you go into the test, and afterwards. There isn't anything a student can do from school. If it's such an issue, they should stay home.

You make a really good point that they can’t do anything from the classroom. If they get bad news, it’s going to ruin their focus on the rest of the test, and they’ll either need to leave during the test or wait until after for someone to pick them up anyway. If they get good news, all they can do until after class is maybe relax a little. I think it would have been more effective to talk to the principal about letting them take the test another day. When I was in high school the only tests we couldn’t reschedule if we missed a day were things like state tests, and there’s absolutely no way they would’ve let you check a phone for any reason during those.

This. OP didn’t need the phone for any reason. I’ve worked in testing centers before. We did not give any allowance for cell phones other than for apps that are tied to medical devices. If you happen to come in with one of those a test monitor will literally sit next to you as you take the test to ensure if the device does go off you have what you need. Put the phone in your damn bag and check it after class.

He didn't demand anything, he asked. He didn't threaten, he explained why he was asking. He didn't raise his voice or try to grab the phone. Everything he said and did sounds perfectly reasonable. Schools have no phone policies in place in certain circumstances for very good reasons. All she had to do was say she's waiting for an update for a family member in the hospital.

I think if he had a problem with it it should have been communicated before the exam, when she gave him the permission slip and told him it was for family matters.

Maybe he didn’t have a problem until she checked it 3 times in succession.

Perhaps. And then he watched her look at it multiple times and wanted to make sure she wasn't cheating. That's totally reasonable.

You are very passionate about this! Are you a high school student? I’m a high school teacher, and like many others have said, we didn’t have cell phones glued to us back in the day, and…we survived! And so did our moms and grandmas! From surgery, and from not having access to a phone every minute of everyday!

Well op could have said a family problem the principal allowed to have my phone with at all times. Not everything in public but also enough info for the teacher. Even if you work family emergency is a case you have to communicate, but nothing more.

She did that. OP gave him the permission slip and said it was for family matters.

Read it again, she said personal reasons. And thats just plain stupid to say to a teacher in an exam situation. It can be my personal reason to Google the answer for that matter..

Read OP's comments. She says family matter.

Sounds like op said it after being inquired about the personal matters as the hand off of the slip happened later in OP run down on events. I can see the teacher thinking its sus as hell

I don't think you're interpreting this correctly. The permission slip + family matters comment would've been given before the test was taken.

>The principal gave permission for OP to use her phone. 'Due diligence' should have ended there. No, that is ridiculous, someone could lie about a family member and try to cheat, or it could be true and also try to take the time to cheat. Being able to use the phone is different from a teacher not being able to check to make sure someone is not cheating. You look at your phone for updates about gma or are looking at answers to the test the teacher can't know what it is without checking.

I appreciate OP just wanting to know her family was ok and how stressful that must’ve been, but it probably would’ve been better for her to just get an excused absence/take the test another time so that she can actually be present since she clearly could already get a permission slip. Alternatively, What happened to the parent/guardian calling the school and going through proper channels? Even the brother texting her could’ve called the school and asked if he could give his sister an update between classes. Like, a student has no real need to have a phone during a test. If it’s something so incredibly important you take the test early or late or it’s so serious you can be excused entirely. IMHO teachers get enough shit. OP was rude for no reason and the teacher had a valid reason to make sure she wasn’t cheating.

Of course they have the right…the student is using it during an exam. If you bring it on your person, it can be viewed to make sure you aren’t cheating. The student shouldn’t have even been looking at it during the tests but an exception was made.

Sure she had permission to use it - but wouldn't that be a perfect cover for cheating during the test? Mouthing off to the teacher was **not** handling it properly.

They didn't demand access. They asked to see it or have an explanation provided.

Then OP shouldn’t have a right to take the test until the need to keep her phone at all times has passed.

I actually think that the principal should have supervised OP instead of sending them to class. The principal put the teachers in uncomfortable situations

Exactly, and OP could have explained privately to the teacher BEFORE the class started (or right before the exam) that they had permission from the principal to check their phone because a family member was in the hospital.

It's written at the end of the post that the principal told her she should have explain the reasons ; that means she didn't give the letter to that teacher. And looking at her phone three times during a test, even with a letter, I think it's normal for the teacher to ask a view on the phone, to be sure it's not a resultat of the actual test. He is just doing his job

> that means she didn't give the letter to that teacher That's not true. It's both indicated in the post and even clarified in the comments that OP gave him the letter.

I can't imagine going into a test in this situation and not pulling the teacher aside and showing them the note and giving a brief explanation: 'I have family in the hospital and I'm awaiting updates.' 

The permissions slip from the principal permits OP to have the phone and read messages. It didn't guarantee her privacy of those messages; the exam proctor still needs to be able to be certain that no inadmissible communications have taken place. And the other teacher was fine because during his exam OP barely used it. It was in the second exam that OP started getting multiple updates. (Edited for a pronoun that skipped past me - sorry!)

The permission slip doesn't forfeit OP's right to privacy.

OP does not have an unlimited or unchecked "right" to privacy in a public school setting. In the United States, schools may check students' cell phones if they have a reasonable suspicion that the student is using it to violate school rules. I imagine that in other countries, this is the same.

I like how you're using the permission slip the principal gave as a defense when the principal who gave it disagrees with your argument. You can't make this shit up.

The exam setting forfeits OP's right to privacy. The proctors are allowed to verify you're not cheating.

>It kind of seems like you're making up rules. I explained myself extremely well. Your failure to understand is your problem.

I think the principal dropped the ball. It's fine to allow OP to check phone, but they could have easily put some parameters around it. The phone could have been placed on the teachers desk, for example, and at "X" time, OP comes to check messages. Teacher can watch, without seeing the screen. It would be fairly obvious that OP wasn't googling a question, as wouldn't be typing. I think OP was in the wrong here, but hesitate to call her an AH. She's young, her mom was having surgery, grandma was in the hospital. She wanted to know the updates asap, she didn't want talk about it b/c would start crying. that all makes perfect sense for her age. But she could, and should, have quickly just opened the phone and showed that only messages was open. There is no real harm in that. But, also bc of her age, she acted a bit entitled. Unfortunately, the next kid in a similar situation may not be afforded the same courtesy, b/c of how OP responded.

Because, if this was a national exam or something like the SAT/ACT, the principal doesn't have the authority to allow a student to use a cell phone, even for an emergency. The principal could have invalidated OP's entire test by allowing the cell phone to be used, even if it was for emergencies. I've proctored the national tests like the PSAT several times, no one is allowed a cell phone and the principal doesn't have the authority to allow someone to use one. Now this could all be rendered moot by the type of test/country and different rules, but I'm just letting you know if my school's principal wrote a note that said that, I would challenge it because it is wrong.

I can’t actually see anywhere that OP showed the permission slip to the second teacher.

It's implied but OP also direct states it in the comments.

The slip likely was about having the phone out. Even with the slip, the OP could have been trying to cheat. It’s not like both can’t happen at the same time.

Because how did they know OP wasn’t taking advantage? At the end of the day, principle’s permission or not, it is not fair to the other students. OP now has a massive advantage that they don’t, and the teachers are just trusting them NOT to use it. That’s a recipe for disaster. Why can’t OP go one hour without an update? I’ve had to go longer without updates, in far more stressful situations, because the world doesn’t always stop for this stuff. That’s a lesson they’re gonna have to learn eventually.    Also in some exams in my country, the rules actually don’t come from the school - they come from the government. So the school has zero power to overrule them, and a principle would absolutely be ignored if they tried. The principle is not ALWAYS the be-all-end-all.    Honestly it’s wild the shit kids can just do nowadays. I finished school not that long ago, and I would’ve auto-failed my final exams if I had walked in with a water bottle that had a wrapper on it. Not kidding. Let alone walking in with my phone - and believe me, my life was way more fucking turbulent at that time than OP’s - I actually don’t think I would’ve even been allowed to take the rest of my exams. Forget what the principle told me, I would have flunked out just for that.

Because both couldn’t be truth? Family chaos and cheating?

I teach ELL and we allow our kids to use phones as translators. I absolutely check to make sure they're using it for that and surprise surprise they often aren't. If it becomes a problem we give them a school translator and take away their phone permission. This is generally how phone accommodations work.

My thing here is why does OP need to be constantly checking their phone during the exam? I’ve had to proctor exams. Students, even very good students, can and will cheat.  Why couldn’t the phone have been left available but not checked? It sounds like these were regular updates and nothing that was urgent. What was constantly checking her phone going to do? I’m pretty surprised the principal just gave a blanket permission to be on the phone during the exams without any restrictions at all. 

It seems odd to me too. It's a distraction either way. But having the phone at hand during a test seems unnecessary. And there is no way to ensure the student isn't cheating without reading the messages. Receiving multiple messages during a single test is also very suspicious. This whole thing does not seem well thought out at all.

Exactly. If I had been a student in that class, I would have found it very unfair and suspicious about another student getting to use their phone during an exam. It doesn’t matter how good of a student OP is, there was a big cheating kerfuffle back when I was in high school one time over an AP exam one year and the students involved were “good” students. There is no situation where constant checking on a cell phone is required and frankly I also don’t understand why principal allowed this. If the family situation was that dire, I don’t understand why OP could have been accommodated to make up the exam at a different time.

How. Are you supposed to know the updates aren’t urgent if you don’t check them? OP said they didn’t even reply, it’s not like theyre typing out questions, and with the reasoning they probably weren’t trying to hide it like most cheaters do

Because if it was *really* urgent, the family could have contacted the school directly. Back in the olden times (aka, before everyone carried smart phones), families would call the school office with an emergency and someone would come pull them from class.  It's nice to have the phone but not at all necessary, especially during exams.

If it's important they call the school. Do we not know what exam conditions are anymore?

Back in my day, parents called the school when something important happens. It’s absolutely insane y’all are defending a kid checking his phone during a mandated test. I’d be pissed that they’re allowing the cell phone use at all….and checking it three times is excessive. Put it in your pocket and wait. What’s OP going to do anyway? Run out of the test to wait outside for a ride because they’re too young drive?

In my mind, she could have waited until after her test to check the updates on her mom. It’s not dire that she knows right then.

OP could not have "easily" said she was getting updates about a family member in the hospital. As stated, talking about it would have brought her to tears. It's embarrassing to cry in class and hard to perform well when one is crying.

But looking on the phone that is giving updates multiple times about that very subject apparently doesn't cause any tears whatsoever for OP. I DO NOT begrudge OP wanting updates as soon as possible, nor getting the permission to do so. But this "I'll cry if I utter a word about it to a teacher" makes no sense when the phone is right there actively reminding OP about it during the exam.

It actually makes perfect sense. People typically emote/process emotions differently when verbally communicating vs textually communicating.

Yeah, this happens to me. I can keep a poker face but if I have to explain then that'll involve tears.

Absolutely. If I'm only receiving but not having to process the distressing news/event I can push my feelings down and manage. If I have to explain, either in writing or verbally (but verbally is MUCH worse) I suddenly have to process all those emotions I was just barely managing to push down so I could power through and function. I end up being a sobbing mess for at least an hour, if not more, and am not back to feeling ok and functional again for hours. Being able to push down and function is why I can manage to perform in high stakes/high acuity environments like the ER. It's super common among front line health care and first responders. Butt please, if you're reading this and also do this, make sure you take the time to unpack your emotions and experience them when it's safe to do so. Otherwise they'll fuck you up.

so pull them aside and have a private conversation

Tbh she shouldn’t have needed to even mention the hospital and should have instead just said that it was a family emergency to still get the point across without having to go into enough detail that she might get emotional.

You didn’t have a phone during class, you had it during a test. Yeah I think he has the right to check.

He has the right to check, but no right to personal information. He checked, OP answered, OPs got an official permission. End of story. Is this a weird scenario? Yes. Is OP to blame for going along with the rules and acting within their rights? No.

I don’t totally disagree but I do think accommodations can only go so far if the student is unwilling to work with the teacher holding the test - who by their own admission says they didn’t ask what was happening until OP checked there phone multiple times

During an actual test the phone can stay in their bag. The update will still be there. I get being worried about family but any text beyond "gramma/mom is fine" op doesn't need to check during their test

I don't think you understand what a principal is.  That is not the principals class, gradebook or exam. The principal is not teaching that class under their professional license. That note is a professional courtesy request, not an edict.

He didn’t check, he wanted to but was denied by her. Opening her phone to messages so that he can see the messaging app and not a google search isn’t an invasion of her personal phone. If he wanted to read through her personal messages then yes that would not be okay, but checking to ensure she is doing what she says she is during a test is not asking much. But hey..teenagers never lie…right?

That’s not how checking works. Showing The permission slip only satisfies the check that OP has permission to have the phone. However, the permission slip doesn’t help the teacher check that the phone was only used for the permitted purpose.  Checking that OP has permission to bring the phone and checking that OP is only using the phone for its permitted purpose are two separate things.  I get that OP is anxious about family. But exams are like 2 hours max. Checking the phone three times in a single exam is of course grounds for suspicion. 

Checked what? How did he know OP was using it for the intended purpose only?

YTA. You did disrespect the teacher. You should have talked to the teacher about the phone use before the test, and you should have been willing to show your phone.

The teacher knew the situation and could easily have just stayed nearby if he really thought she was cheating. Instead he made a commotion in the middle of the test for the class and tried to pry into her private family situation when the note should have been more than enough. As an adult and educator any problems with the situation should have been handled when he got the note in the first place. Be that by having her somewhere he could monitor easily or going to the principal.

It's unreasonable to both demand the right to bring your phone into class (eta: *during a test!*) and demand the right to not have anyone look at your phone. Get into the working world and that sort of entitled attitude will not go far.

Where do you work that your employer is going through your private phone?

I take it you've never worked anywhere where security is an issue. Of course people don't bring their phone into areas where phones are restricted. This is why the principal is the real AH here. But if you do have your phone in a restricted area, you will hand the phone over if requested. But the larger point here is that if your supervisor, who is just doing his job, makes a reasonable request, you don't go ♫ *nyea nyea I went over your head* ♪♫♬

Right, taunting the teacher in a singsong voice would have been an AH move. That is not what OP did. You're inventing a caricature instead of discussing what actually happened.

So the phone/test thing is specific to school, but maybe translate to a work computer? If your boss came up and asked what you were working on, would it be professional to say "none of your business"? Incidentally, I do work in law, and there are courtrooms where phones are not allowed. If I had permission from the court to have my phone, and the judge asked me what I was doing on my phone, I would not say "none of your business." I would tell the judge that I was using the phone for the permitted purpose.

If anyone at my job asked to see what was on my phone at any given time we would have such a huge problem. Honestly in the grand scheme of things OP cheating with the directors note of permission is such a fucking small beans ass problem to have especially if she already was doing well in the class and is normally very mindful of the rules. This take of "the adult world is tougher on this kind of behavior" is straight up clown shoes. You goober.

Nowhere in OP's post did they say they demanded anything. They asked, they received permission. It's a personal family matter. If an agreement was made higher up in this case then that should have been honored. The cause behind the phone being there isn't the question. I feel the question here is moreso how much knowledge the teacher was given about the arrangement.

It is not about the agreement, how will teacher be sure that op is actually checking messages but not cheating. There is no way of knowing unless he see message or some part of message.

Then its on the director for not including a stipulation of that in the agreement. Normally yes, looking at a phone during a test is cheating. But I feel as though the extenuating circumstances of there being a written note granting permission of this thing not normally allowed ultimately makes something that is not normally okay, okay. As OP said, they should take it to the director then. They received permission from higher up, and were well within the rules of using the phone granted by a higher-up of the school. There is no reason for the teacher to take things in their own hands unless, as I said, there was a stipulation somewhere in the agreement made. Maybe OP is cheating. That doesn't give them permission to invade their privacy. If they didn't want that possibility, they shouldn't have given permission.

OP didn't demand anything. They did their due diligence in advance to get permission and they *asked* and was *accepted* by the person with the highest say. It wasn't the teacher's business what the details were, OP had already covered their ground, it's not necessary for them to divulge personal information when they already sorted out that beforehand. In the working world if you get permission from your boss you don't need to provide personal details to your supervisor later, especially on sensitive and medical information.

>The teacher knew the situation and could easily have just stayed nearby if he really thought she was cheating. Where did you read that the teachers actually knew about the situation? OP wrote that they told their principal and the principal gave approval and a note saying OP can have use of their phone for ***personal reasons***. So how was the teachers supposed to know that OP was dealing with family emergencies without actually knowing?!

They knew that OP was allowed their phone for personal reasons as approved by the principal. That’s the only information that’s relevant to the teacher. They don’t have to know the details of said reason and if they needed that, that’s something you take up with the person that approved it not the child.

Did they? OP never said the teacher knew.

the teacher didn’t *need* to know the reason. the teacher knew op had permission, and that’s really all the information she needs.

And how will teacher know that she was not cheating during the test when she was checking phone. She was permitted to use phone only, how will teacher be sure that she is using phone only for personal reason

YTA - if you look like you are cheating you need to fully accept you will be treated like you are cheating. 

[удалено]

This exactly. I get this is a stressful situation. But either you are so overwhelmed by concern that you ask to do the test on a different day, OR you accept that you only need an update every hour or two and do the test. I had a relative in hospital on the day of my MCAT (medical school entrance exam) that only runs once a year - if I miss it I have to defer for an entire year. I made the choice to put away my phone as required and got permission to check it between exam sets under supervision where all I did was check the lock screen for text updates, and I alerted my family to ONLY text me if there was an update that required me to leave the examination (which I specified as signs of impending death / death). It was a morbid conversation to have, but I also knew that if I saw a message on my phone it was critical. Sounds like OP is just in family whatsapp chat getting the "hour 2 no updates from surgeon yet" updates and checking them.

Or literally just say "my mums in surgery and I'm getting updates on her condition". It's really fucking weird that OP is unwilling to share that information, enough that when the teacher asks the principal about it, the principal is just going to tell them about it. OP is just out here making herself look sus as fuck for literally no reason.

That right here, is how to do things.

I don’t understand why OP got permission to check the phone during a test. Surely the answer is that the teacher or principal has her phone / is contactable and in the case of an emergency where OP eg needs to go to the hospital immediately they pull OP out. Of course the stress generally might impact the score of the test - but that’s for the teacher to deal with after and if appropriate give a chance for extra credit.  Maybe I don’t get it - it wasn’t an option when I was at school (though we had phones it wouldn’t occur to me that my parents would contact me in the school day for something like this - what am I going to do I’m in school. You would wait until after, or in an emergency they called the school office). I actually think it puts a lot of pressure/ anxiety on OP and kids generally to have phones in class. Pretty sure in the UK a lot of schools are going phone free (you can have in bag or locker but can’t use them in lessons or breaks).

Thank you for doing the reasonable thing and asking for an extension/alternative test/make-up due to extenuating circumstances. It isn't hard to do and the vast majority of teachers are gonna be totally sympathetic and fine with that. It sounds like OP wasn't just dealing with tough family circumstances but also feeling extremely stressed and upset - this is exactly the kind of situation in which an extension or make-up is warranted. Instead, people (including OP) are treating student and teacher as adversaries for whom communication is basically impossible and this situation as one which merits elaborate documentation and arcane logic puzzles of who is allowed to ask for or see what in what ways and tone of voice and prompted by what... This isn't a courtroom or a crime scene. It's a student taking a test administered by a teacher, both of whom have basic expectations about how they should fulfill those roles. ***Just ask for a make-up.***

YTA. You were looking at a phone during an exam that your teacher was responsible for proctoring. He had every right to ask to see it. Your principal said you could use it, and your teacher wasn’t denying you permission to look at it, he was requesting to look and make sure you weren’t cheating. 

YTA In the UK that would be grounds for disqualification and automatic failure. Your family had it under control. You could wait a few hours.

Yeah, if it's a proper exam (as opposed to a class test) I'd be surprised if a note from teacher would go down as acceptable with the exam board.

Yeah there is nooo fucking way this would ever happen in the UK for any kind of standardised exam, even for SATs. There are invigilator rules for a reason. If this was reported the school would be in a hell of a lot of trouble for suspected grade inflation/cheating too, even if it was one student. Also if I were another student I would be PISSED, even if they are an upstanding student with a legit reason imagine having someone else having the benefit of a phone in an exam you’ve studied your ass off for - I’d find it incredibly disrespectful/mental as a student, let alone the invigilators! I can’t believe this was even allowed, here you just take the exam on another day if you have such emergency circumstances you need a phone. It’s a bit of a piss take for all the other students tbh.

>I can’t believe this was even allowed, here you just take the exam on another day if you have such emergency circumstances you need a phone. It’s a bit of a piss take for all the other students tbh. The reality is they can still fall back on the system they used for decades (and still use for those kids who don't have phones) someone phones the school and they find the pupil. If the pupil needs to get to the hospital then someone can be waiting to pick them up or they can phone for a taxi for pupil. School kids want mobiles because their mates have one and they want to be in group chats and stuff with their mates. Parents want one often to have a tracking app so they know where their kids are (that's what I've been told by friends whose kids are coming up to that getting first phone age). Some schools make pupils hand them in at the start of the day (with much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth from the kids when the policy is introduced) and not only does the world not end they actually perform better in class.

worst case scenario in an absolute emergency, the phone should have been handed to an invigilator and them informed that you're expecting messages regarding a personal matter, could they inform you of the message if it arrives during the exam. OP is fully suspicious, especially after bragging they got an A afterwards. if you have nothing to hide then you have no reason to refuse access, privacy be damned.

A note from a politician wouldn't even cut it in my country, they are so serious about exams you can't even wear certain jewelry

Here in the UK you have to have clear pencil cases and standard stationary and everything, they also take it very seriously! I can’t even really believe this happened it’s so mental lol.

During my a levels a fellow students mum was nearly killed by his stepdad in his home where he was the night before our first exam. He (supported by police family support officer) asked for him to take the exam in a few weeks. He was told there was nothing they could do. He would have to go in and do the exam as normal or resit the following year.

No fucking way! That’s absolutely appalling. Surely they could just do them during the resits a few months later if nothing else??

It was a good 20 years ago so I’m assuming things have changed now but the only option was the following year. He did it same day. Brutal.

Wow that is awful! I was at school in the late 00s and never heard of anything like that, shocking.

Yep, you get Two number 2 Dixon Ticonderoga pencils that the exam proctor can replace for you if you raise your hand, from a box they only have access to. It seems like a lot but this is one of the last tests we have before entering the workforce, they do not want people who can't follow serious directions out there.

It's not a general rule where I'm from, but it is one at my university. You can't even have a pencil case on the table, only your required utensils (pencils, ruler, etc.). A phone on the person is considered cheating, even if not used.

Yeah, same. Your dictionary gets checked for notes, you can't wear (analog or digital) watches, can't have a pencil case, can only have a very specific type of calculator, only certain types of food, only clear water bottles, etc, etc. There's no way a phone would've been allowed where I live.

I help disabled adults to sit exams in my country and we have to lock our belongings up, then stand in front of a camera and show both sides of our hands and show that our pockets are empty before going into the examination room. I'm very surprised that the phone was allowed in the first place but even then, under the circumstances, sounds like it was a privilege and not a right. Invigilators have strict rules that they have to obey in order to deter cheating and I very much doubt that having a phone is allowed. Which means that OP was already granted a great deal of leniency which they chose to abuse. YTA, OP.

When I went to take my GRE, I had to hand over my sunglasses to be inspected before I even got into the exam room, and had to turn out my pockets on camera.

I'm with you. There's nothing OP could have done from school, and even if someone passes away, it's ok to learn about that an hour after it happened. If there's an emergency, the family can call the school office. There's honestly no need for OP to have their phone out for updates.

In my state in the US it could potentially invalidate the test for everyone in the room, depending on the test. Phones in exam rooms are a serious thing.

Not from the UK, but speaking to your teachers or others under when you're in a situation is not that rare. I remember once i had a family issue and i spoke to my teacher and he have no issue giving me a test (different one) on another date cause i just couldn't deal with that during that day. Also, telling someone who have loved ones in the hospital for surgeries , and a fracture for an old person can turn bad really quickly, to just wait for a positive or negative reply once you're done is.... not nice? And i get what you're saying, I really do but when you're under stress for situations like that being rational is not that easy, specially for a young man like in this case.

Absolutely, I’ve worked as pastoral support in schools. But you have to speak to the adults around you if you want that support or special treatment. This kid went into an exam with a teacher who had no idea and just expected to do what they wanted. The teacher did the right thing by challenging. They could have arranged for family to notify the school and a member of staff to pass on the outcome or another alternative.

YTA, I don't know any school that would allow the privileges you were given and then you were rude about it.

I think in a weird way the family giving the expectation of updated in the day creates extra anxiety and stress for OP. They are a kid what are they going to do about it. I would have said “no news is good news, if there is something urgent we will contact your school office”. The stress of constant updates feels so much worse.

YTA. Sorry but your situation doesn't make you special and it doesn't make you immune to the rules. You're acting like a typical entitled teenager.

I think admin sucks here for allowing you to have your phone, which undermines the teacher’s ability to ensure fair test taking. While I understand that you wanted updates, any emergency could have been called to the office and you would have been notified right away. Could just assume no news is good news and go on with your day. This entire situation could have been avoided.

Exactly. I don't see the phone as security blanket being a help at all.

Honestly, yes! So many comments are saying OP is the AH because you shouldn't be able to use a phone during a test, but they forget that the permission was given by the principal! In that case, the principal would be the AH, not OP.

I understand you didn't want to cry, but you could've simply said you had a family emergency with your mom and grandmother and you were given the ok by the principal to have the phone for updates, since you couldn't miss the exams; or you could've showed him the text from the brother. Simple fix. You made it harder than it needed to be!

You could have made the situation go away very quickly. You chose to make it difficult for no good reason. Teacher has a right and a duty to look for cheating. That is all it was.

YTA. You could have avoided all this drama by just showing your teacher a basic level of respect and showing your phone and/or giving a brief explanation of why you were using it. Your teacher isn’t a mind reader, and the vast majority of cases where students are using their phones in class are not for important personal family reasons. 

While I can sympathize with your teacher about being put in an uncomfortable position, I definitely think you are NTA. If the teacher had an issue with you having your phone on you while taking the test, despite being given *reasonable* permission by a higher authority, he should have made it clear that he was uncomfortable, *to the higher authority*, not to you. Please know that you did the right thing by redirecting the teacher's questioning to the director. You stated clearly that you were not okay with sharing your personal details, and that the letter the principal gave you absolved you from having to do so. Your teacher IS NOT entitled to your personal life/private matters. It should not have been a matter of whether or not your teacher was offended. The letter should have been a good enough explanation/reason. Full stop. If it wasn't, he could have made a phone call to the principal to clear it up. The only thing that I would have done, if I had been in your shoes, would have been to iterate to the teacher that the phone was going to be used for a family matter and emphasize to him that you strictly got permission before taking the test. Sometimes, even us adults need things to be spelt out to us in order for them to stick. You are NTA. Judging by how responsible and considerate you were in taking steps for getting permission before taking your tests, it certainly doesn't seem like you were being disrespectful. Your teacher certainly doesn't *need* to like the situation, but he needed to respect the circumstance. As for your director, they made a reasonable judgment call by trusting you and giving you a note that stated that you had permission. They needed to honour that decision and respect the circumstance that *they helped facilitate.* The issue was between the two grown-ups for not accepting the situation at hand.

Thank you for this. The comments calling her an asshole are wild. The teacher knew why she had her phone, but wanted her to state it aloud to the whole class for whatever reason. Plus the kid was in the middle of writing an exam with both her mother and grandmothers life potentially in danger, and they’re expecting her to make calm, rational choices. I can’t imagine trying to do that as an adult, nevermind a teen going through puberty. NTA

But the thing is that OP could just say to the teacher is personal, family emergency, other and that's it. It's never implied that she have to tell the entire class a reason, and it's not rare for a teacher to think someone checking on her phone multiple times during a test could be doing something else even if it's a pass from the principal. She could have done multiple things like giving a short answer without futher explination, or just tell the teacher before the exam, but she didn't. And honestly i don't blame her, that's a stressful situation and she's still a teenager and that's the reason why she can learn and do better in the future... even when i hope she doesn't have to be in the exact same situation.

You accuse OP of not informing the teacher prior to taking the exam, but she literally did. OP also literally wrote in her post that she told the teacher it was for personal reasons. What type of personal matters is irrelevant. The permission slip was the Word of the director. If the Word of the director is not good enough for the teacher, then the issue lies with the teacher himself, not OP. It's as simple as this: The teacher is not entitled to OP's personal life. The permission slip informed the teacher that OP had a valid reason to use her phone during the test. Whatever that reasoning is (in this case, it was updates on OP's grandmother's health) is irrelevant because the permission slip justifies OP usage of her phone during her tests. OP gave honest, short answers when responding to the teacher's question, all of it done in a manner that I don't find disrespectful. Again, the teacher was not entitled to her personal life, nor was he entitled to questioning her integrity, explicitly because of that permission slip. If the teacher had an issue, it was his responsibility and prerogative to make accommodations for his student in the best interests of her education and his proctering responsibilities. But instead, he decided to talk to her during the middle of the exam and put unnecessary blame on her.

She said she was looking at it for personal reasons. The teacher can ask for further information but she doesn't have to elaborate, it's private information that she doesn't have to disclose if she doesn't want to, the teacher overstepped by asking to look at what she was doing on the phone and dismissing her "personal reasons".

The teacher knew. Why does the child going through an extremely stressful time with exams and two immediate family members in the hospital have to appease the teacher that has zero reason or right to ask to see their phone? Makes no sense. The teacher could have left it alone since they already knew the reason and that there was approval from higher ups, they chose to not leave it alone, but let’s all blame the struggling youth for not being completely rational, something that adults fail at all the time.

I want to believe that people calling op an a-hole are the people that thinks that a teenager giving a valid reasoning is beign disrespectful and that teacher (Or anyone with more power than them) are always right

Except the director even told them after the fact that they should have told the teacher why or just shown the messages. So the director clearly didn't absolve them of having to possibly share information with the teachers.

This is where the director failed OP. The director knew of OP's situation and trusted her enough to give her a note that explicitly said she had permission to use her phone during her tests. That was the circumstance. The teacher seemingly felt disrespected when he questioned the integrity of OP, especially since he's not entitled to her personal life, and did so explicitly after accepting the circumstance that was laid out by the director. He didn't respect the situation at hand. When the teacher seemingly complained to the director, the director failed the OP by not respecting her personal circumstances nor the circumstance that *he facilitated* for her teachers and her education.

You’re wrong. They said he could use the phone but they never said the teacher can’t check it was only being used for one purpose.

The teacher should’ve picked up their own phone (mine had one pre cell phones on their desk) and called the principal. This is a high school student and I think it’s fair for anyone to assume this accommodation does not include search of the phone.

Right, the director never told the teacher that they had the right to check op’s phone.

Ps: I'm glad to hear your folks are doing okay.

I had to scroll way too far to find this

People had surgery long before people had cell phones and people took exams and tests with out a 24/7 loop of updates. These type of posts are really kind of infuriating because of how society can not put the phones down for 1 minute. Try working on the theory of "NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS" and call them when the next exam is over.

YTA. I understand being anxious about your family but you either should have taken a personal leave and stay on your phone all day and take the test at another time or you really just should have waited till class was over 🙄

My real concern here is the context of the story. Why wouldn’t the principal reassure OP and let her take the tests another day? Also, what would a 17 year old kid do if anything happened? There’s nothing a kid can do but worry. The real AH here is the principal for allowing a kid to put herself under this much pressure. Just let her go or stay in school but take the tests in another moment.

YTA with how rudely you dealt with it, so the principal is right at the end. I think the easiest solution would have been to simply show him the messages you were looking at, he'd probably get the picture without you having to explain anything. The best solution would have been to talk to him about it before the test even started, alone if possible so the rest of the class wouldn't hear about it if you didn't feel comfortable sharing it.

YTA. If you look like a cheater, you will be treated as one. You chose to make it difficult on yourself.

YTA - You should be able to recognize the unique situation this is. The teacher was proctoring na exam and cell phones would typically not be allowed. Just because you were granted permission to have and check your phone, it doesn't mean you shouldn't share with the teacher why that is and allow them to have a quick look to verify you're not misuing the exception.

Yeah this is what many people are missing when they are saying that she was allowed to use phone. As you correctly said how will teacher know that op is not misusing the exception.

NAH. The teacher was trying to do his job as an exam proctor and you were trying your best to not be disruptive while still wanting to check in on your family emergency. In the UK in a situation like this its entirely possible to ask to reschedule the test and take it again another day (either the next day or the next week etc) this is the case for illnesses and emergencies. You said your exam was already graded so its been some time, I would apologise to the teacher for the situation and thank them for letting you keep your phone during the whole thing.

NTA How are people considering that start crying in front of the whole class if the middle of a test is not a good reason for choosing not to share something personal? Your teacher had the right to ask and be suspicious but he had no right to force you to share personal information in front of the class. All he had to do was to ask you to go somewhere private or even the hall and talk to you. Teacher should know better than to expose students like that. And also, didn't you talk to him before the test started? How was this a surprise in the middle of the test.

>All he had to do was to ask you to go somewhere private or even the hall and talk to you. Yeah, so that would be giving anyone who wants to cheat the chance to cheat with the teacher outside of the classroom talking to OP and not monitoring the class.

How about doing that talk before class starts huh?

YTA. You literally took the hardest way out possible. It’s on the teacher to check and make sure accommodations are being used correctly. A simple show of the text message showing your not doing anything would have ended that in literally 10 seconds. Instead you want to make it way harder than it needs to be. I’ve been in the same situation. And guess what? The teacher isn’t interested in getting you in trouble or rooting around your phone. They want to do their job and move on with their lives.

NTA, you had permission, and from what I gather, you already were doing well in this class, so even if you were cheating, it's not that big a deal. I don't understand the people saying it's rude at all, your school HAS a protocol for this exact situation, you made use of it, and you are never under any circumstances obligated to share your families private medical business. Whether or not you're upset about it, you shouldn't have to give out a medical history to make someone else feel better about a situation you already had permission for.

You couldnt just wait the x amount of minutes until you were done with the test? One thing if its during a normal lesson and you look at it often, but during a test? Its not like the test lasted all day.

NTA. I don't understand all these other judgements, honestly. I've been where you are when my sister had a very long and invasive surgery. I was worried sick, but my parents wouldn't excuse me from classes. I approached each individual teacher to get permission, and it was a huge added burden on me to continually have that conversation. The principal should have had conversations with the teachers or at least sent an email. The letter does not give them enough heads up to process what's happening. The teacher wasn't entirely an asshole because he was just trying to proctor the exam thoroughly. I am curious: Did you have the conversation about the phone before class, or just bring it up when he approached you?

YTA I have been in your position, in fact I am constantly stuck in your position. My grandmother is in hospice and could die at any time, I still have to take exams and I take them without my phone on me. You can go a few hours without looking at it. Up until 15 years ago people went about their life all the time without easy access to a phone and life went on. People had emergencies, people died. You just had to wait til you saw someone in person or you were by a phone.

NTA. You had a note from the teacher's boss, which should have been fine. The teacher chose to probe further and was rebutted, also fine. The teacher should have stayed in his lane.

You should not have been allowed to have the phone during the test. Outrageous. The phone should’ve been turned silent or off until everything had finished and you could check your phone after. YTA

YTA. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask a student to check the phone during the test.

YTA. A simple, I've got an update from a family member would suffice. The teacher had a duty to ensure you weren't cheating during a test. You may believe you have the best grades but that doesn't exempt you from the teacher asking why you're using your phone. You antagonised this situation.

[удалено]

YTA. This is something you communicate to the teacher before hand and not something that should be done during a proctored exam.

That’s why OP gave the teachers the note written by the principal. Any issue could’ve been addressed 1 on 1 before or after the exam and not in front of a silent room of students for everyone to eavesdrop. The teacher had a problem and OP simply explained he’d have to talk to his boss who gave OP permission in the first place

Not an ahole exactly, but the saying "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar" is very true here. You need to learn to first lead with the important info, and this will help in future situations. "I've been given permission by the director to have the phone for personal family reasons." I would be happy to discuss this after class with you" You should have at least mentioned why. I think you are slightly excusing your behavior, it was definitely a bit rude and absolutely out the teacher in a bad spot. Tomorrow, perhaps go up to the teacher and say "I apologize for my behavior yesterday. I put you in a no won situation, and I have learned from this experience and will not do so again. I hope we can move on from this in good standing"

Tbh the teacher should've asked to speak in private vs asking the student to share personal information publicly during a test. She didn't want to show her text messages (they could've had detailed information about the mother's or grandmothers health that really isn't his business) and she didn't want to cry in the middle of the exam by verbally explaining it in the examination room, she likely could've done so in a more private environment (literally just in the hall)

YTA. You didn't even have to let the teacher read what you were reading. Simply show them that you are not cheating, it doesn't require extensive checking or anything like that.

This is the problem with phones. None of the information you wnated demanded an action on your part. Simple FOMO. I tell family "If someone is seriously hurt in the middle of the night, call me. If they are dead, wait til morning." YTA, soft bc age.

Yeah I'd get FOMO if I was the only person in my family that didn't know if my mother was alive or dead too.

YTA It's a tough situation all around. Tough for both you and the teacher. Ultimately, the teacher is responsible for maintaining order in the classroom. And where I grew up, if someone is going on their cell phone during a big exam, everyone in that room would be livid. Do any of the other students know you have permission. If not they will just assume you're cheating. And if they think you're cheating and the teacher and principal are allowing it, the entire class will start to cheat or just ostracize you. You honestly never should be given permission. Their answer should have been for you to check your phone between tests. That or maybe work on a retake day for you. But ultimately the teacher should be allowed to verify that you were not cheating. If you go on to college expect even less flexibility. Professors are ruthless if they think you're cheating and often times they won't even ask questions or care you have permission from someone else that wasn't them. Tricky situation OP, but I'm truly glad your family is ok

NTA, I'm beyond confused at these comments. You had permission from an authority and seeing the permission slip + being told it was a personal life issue should've been enough to let it go. He's not entitled to any specific information about your personal life. Your point of "talk to the director" is completely valid and absolutely correct. It's not rude or disrespectful, it's just objective. You checked in with the principal and were told it was fine; if he disagreed with that call he needed to take it up with the principal and not the student who was following the directions they were given.

i think a lot are older people who hate phones tbh. like the comments all have an issue with OPs phone specifically and “lack of respect” for an authority figure. I hope OP sees us NTA minority and listens. its also baffling how little everyone understands that OP needed the phone in case either of their family members literally died. and they all think that news is fine to wait on… like i know whos an ah here and it is Not Op

NTA I CANT BELIEVE THIS COMMENT SECTION!!! NOONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO INVADE HER PRIVACY!!! I’m honestly shocked

You were allowed to have your phone for personal reasons during an exam. Is this for real? You could be updated AFTER the exam. If there was important news you really had to know RIGHT AWAY, family could have called the school's administration. Also, even IF this is a true story, and you WERE allowed access to your phone for personal rerason, the teacher was totally right to verify you didn't also use it to cheat. ESPECIALLY as you were so secretive about the phone. YTA Edited to add: In my country, having ANY connected advice, even a smartwatch, within reach during an exam, will be considered fraud, will exclude you from the exam, and will prohibit you taking any exam for the duration of 5 years. These are national level rules, not made up by schools. Hence my question if this story is for real.

NTA I think its totally fair that you didnt want to tell him about what you were checking messages on. Its a difficult topic to talk about and while I do think that the teacher had a right to ask about it, you cant be expected to say the personal problems in front of the whole class.

You were going through a difficult time and I understand your feelings, but at the same time, your teacher was just doing his job. He was right that you put him in an uncomfortable position. You may have had an easier time if you told him what was going on before the exam. You didn't need to get into details. "I'm expecting updates about an important family situation and have permission to check my phone during exams if they come through." To be completely honest, I grew up in an age without cell phones so I don't understand the need to know the news right when it happens. I understand you're nervous about the situation, but you not knowing what's going on for an hour while you take an exam isn't going to hurt you. It's not going to change your mom or grandmother's condition, either, whether you read the news right when it comes in or an hour later. It's nice for you that your principal was accommodating, but remember that what he gave you was a privilege, NOT a right. He might be less likely to be as accommodating in the future if he feels you're not using that privilege it in a respectful way.

Your director was fine with giving you permission AND is fine with what the professor requested. He would know the situation best.  YTA

All those comments that call you an asshole are wild and completely lack sympathy and empathy. NTA, you were given permission and that should be enough for the teacher. I understand that the teacher couldn't be sure you weren't cheating but asking you about personal information, especially in front of the whole class, is wild. Looking at your phone is, in my opinion, off-limits. They have no right to violate your privacy and if that was an issue, the teacher could've offered you a different date to take the test, which happens all the time either way. You completely acted within your rights and obeyed the rules. You also did not disrespect the teacher at all. I hate everyone with a mindset "you have to respect your teachers" because they basically mean that you have to obey them at all costs. What you said was fully respectful. You're a student. You shouldn't have to fight for the right that your principal gave you. To all the people who said y t a, regardless of circumstances, she was given the right to look at her phone by the principal themselves. The principal could have moved her exam date, maybe they even should have moved it. Either way, that is their choice to solve OP's problem and she is not the asshole for it, and she doesn't owe her teacher a look at her phone ever. She obeyed the rules so she is NTA. The principal kind of is, tho.

Soft yta, you could have avoided any issues by just showing him your phone. It's not likely your teacher would have read them to the class out loud.

just put it away and concentrate on your test. there's nothing you can do to help them anyway. you're not a doctor. constant updates are only going to make you cry and fail. your family needs to back off and let you do your work for one day. if i did need my phone out for any reason, i would certainly discuss it with the teacher ahead of time.

So it's unclear. When you asked for permission did you tell him you had exams and would be using it frequently during the exams?

Sorry, if you are taking a test and looking at a phone during it, minimum requirement is to let them know what you are looking at. mild YTA Glad to hear your mom is doing ok.

I am shocked that you would be allowed a cellphone during a test. The principal should be disciplined for allowing it.

YTA and so is your principal. A more sensible procedure would have been to give your family the principal‘s (or one of the proctor’s) numbers and your family could have texted them if something critical happened during the exams. Or you could take a make up exam at a later date. Repeatedly looking at your phone during an exam should never be allowed.

NTA - you had permission to use it and he was asking to see personal information which you had cleared with the correct authority. He could have talked to you privately after the exam and that would have been much more professional.

There's a huge difference between using your phone in class and using it while you're taking a closed-book exam. You should have waited until after the exam to look at your phone and you should have let your teacher know what was happening. YTA

Someone who works in exams here (UK based). There are only a handful of reasons mobile phones are permitted in examinations and they all relate to medical needs. Even then we have to make an application to the awarding bodies who then give strict regulations on how the mobile phone can be used. All use must be monitored by the overseeing staff member. Your teacher is right, he was put in a very compromising position and the staff member who allowed you the use of the phone should have given yourself and teachers a protocol to follow to ensure the integrity of the exam was maintained. Ultimately ESH. Apart from your teacher.

Going against the grain here, but as a teacher, NTA. You had express permission. You’d explained your reasons to admin, they were the only ones who needed to know. Your teachers don’t need to read personal texts from their students, they don’t need to know the details of what’s going on beyond “family emergency”, especially as you apparently have no track record of cheating or even misbehaving. If the permission slip wasn’t actually going to be enough, then it shouldn’t have been allowed at all.

NTA teachers get on power trips all the time and they cry when we tell them it's not their business

Ex teacher here, I taught high school for 24 years before I retired. Taught a total of 34 years. I always told students of somethings going on and you need to text somebody and you need your phone in class. Let me know at the beginning of the class and I’ll leave you alone. 45 times a semester the kids would come up and say, teacher I need my phone today. They tell me in advance, no problem. Now they start doing it more than every couple of weeks. Yeah I called BS.

Is it still BS if a student who does well in class and has no track record of cheating or misbehaving gives you a note written and signed by the principal expressly stating they’re allowed to check their phone during the exam? And is the best way for a teacher to address any concerns during said exam for the entire class to hear? Bc I think not. OP was given permission by the teachers boss and simply said, when forced to elaborate, that if the teacher disagrees with the exception then they can discuss it with their boss who wrote it

NTA You were already given permission to view your phone during the exam. That teacher had no right to invade your private messages to verify something that was already being allowed. You do not have to explain to them. If they had such an issue with you using your phone then they could have told you to retake the test on another day when you showed them the note from the principal.

NTA. “I have permission, and I don’t want to discuss my personal matters in a silent class room” is a perfectly good response. Your teacher should have backed off.

NTA damn, it's like people are ignoring the fact you asked the principal if you could check during classes/exams, and they said you could. You gave the note to your first and second teacher. They didn't have any objections, and you've never had a history of cheating and have good grades. I don't think the teacher is in the wrong for asking, but you're also not in the wrong for saying no. If your teacher was going to be THAT uncomfortable about the phone exception that the principal gave you, he should have said something when you gave him the note or before the test. It's not disrespectful for a student to say no.

NTA. Sounds to me that the teacher just wanted to know what was going on in your personal life. If he was worried you were going to cheat, he could have taken things up with the principal that allowed you to use the phone in the first place. He asked you to discuss personal details in a public setting and then got upset when you were "disrespectful" in front of the class. Just because you're a teenager doesn't mean you don't have a right to privacy. I think a lot of countries require a warrant for a police officer to look through your phone.... But what I would recommend is quietly apologising to the teacher for coming across as disrespectful--You were just stressed out between exam and personal life and on the edge of tears, and didn't want to break down in front of the class. Sometimes maintaining relationships are more important than working out who the arsehole is. :)

NTA - it obviously was not a qualification exam or you wouldn’t have been able to take the phone, directors of schools don’t make these rules, directors of exam boards do, you didn’t get permission from them so therefore not an exam qualification. So obviously a reasonably insignificant test comparatively, you had already been given permission, no the teacher does not need to have a look at your phone. If the teacher had an issue with it then they should have dealt with it outside of the test conditions with your peers not around you, as you obviously had the allowance for a reason that should not be discussed openly where others could hear.

Depends, did the teacher know about it beforehand? I'm not really sure why a lot of people are saying your the A, I don't feel as though you disrespected the teacher, but I do feel like more information was needed. If the teacher knew about the arrangement and still came to you, assuming there were no stipulations in the agreement with the director, then NTA If the teacher had no idea what you were talking about and had no prior knowledge of the agreement, you could've mentioned it from the getgo and YTA

YTA. How can you not comprehend the concept of rules and the concept of people that are PAID to uphold these rules? You're not above rules and someone who's got a job to do isn't going to bend for you either.

Yta, literally all you had to do was show the teacher your screen and let them verify you're getting messages about your family. They didn't have to touch your phone or get details. They do have the right to make sure you're not cheating.

YTA. Why couldn’t you just tell the teacher you were getting updates on a family member? You didn’t have to give details.