Emerging Policies and Teacher Takeover

Essential Edge:   According to teacher Rebecka Peterson (see below) making your own cell phone policy a part of your classroom procedure – no drama, just an expectation with private follow-up, if needed – prevents it from being a stressful power play and simply another rule for your class. You’ll be surprised at your students’ response.

Wow! Who would have thought that cell phones would be such a controversial topic in the world of education?

Well … everyone who has a kid (or teaches a kid) with a cell phone, really.

Cell phones weren’t an issue back in our school days (who could sneak in that humungous phone and battery pack in your bookbag anyway?). But—as anyone in education knows—it’s now a Big Thing.

Nationwide studies, as well as talk in staff rooms, focuses on issues like:  

• Focus
• Distractions
• Zero engagement
• Disruptions
• Unrestricted access
• Addiction

For several years, individual teachers have been left to figure how to handle this issue on their own. Is this a solution best handled with restorative justice, or is it a simple matter of district-wide “Off and Away” policies with classroom cellphone hotels to back up the mandate?

The Word on the Street (well, in the Schools)

1. A recent online article by Tim Walker in neaToday titled, “Take Cellphones Out of the Classroom, Educators Say” shares the very definitive sentiments of NEA members:

2. Additionally, an NEA report, Impact of Social Media and Personal Devices on Mental Health, published just this past August clearly states concerns about student use of electronics and social media in school:

 To read and download the report, click here.

3. Rebecka Peterson’s Edutopia article (out just a few days ago) entitled “An Effective Cell Phone Policy for High School Classrooms” shares powerful steps for implementing a cell phone policy in her classes, complete with a cell phone holder.

4. Most articles stress the importance of administrative support through district policies. Just as important: buy-in from parents and guardians.

One of the educators in the Tim Walker article mentioned above also hung a cell phone holder on the wall of her art classroom and requires student to park them as they walk in. Her quote in neaToday pretty much sums up what many are thinking:

Quite obviously, we are in the nascent stages of solving this issue in our schools, but it seems that the emerging consensus about a change concerning cell phones in the classroom would be a Good Thing.

What do you think?

• How do you feel about it?
• What policy does your school have in place, if any?
• Do you have an effective, no-stress way of handling it in the classroom?

 Resources:

• Little girl on phone image by Photo by Наталия  Игоревна from Pexels.
• Image and quote by Devon Espejo featured in “Take Cellphones Out of the Classroom, Educators Say” by Tim Walker at neaToday.
• Image of girls on cell phones by Gary Cassel from Pixabay.
• Image of monument by Couleur from Pixabay