Are your staffers a little distracted by text messages, Snapchats and Instagram posts? Yearbook advisers weigh in on banning cell phones in their classrooms
This post was adapted from a discussion on the Balfour Advisers Facebook group.
“I used to allow phones for a few reasons: a lot of pics they take are on phones, they upload to ImageShare on phones and because it’s an elective class with mostly responsible students. But our school has been cracking down, [our] ASB teacher doesn’t allow phones anymore, so I did too. I’ve found students are SO much more engaged when they’re not hiding behind their screens. They interact with one another so much more.” – Andrew Aronson, Kraemer Middle School
“They lose points in their weekly grades if they have their phones out for personal usage.” –Brenda Jones, Currituck County High School
“It’s really difficult to get kids to understand how to use technology productively when they can’t (won’t) take the earbuds out long enough to even hear the discussion. The concept of tech moderation really should start in elementary school now. Until it does: no phones, no earbuds.” –LS Blatter, St. Petersburg High School
“My philosophy is if mine is put up, yours should be too. Some listen to music but as soon as class starts, I say ‘Put your cell phones up and away.’ ” –Sara Gonzales, Paetow High School
“When the bell rings, you’re on my time. You can watch Netflix at home. If I see a phone out, they have to have asked permission and given the reason they need it out and for approximately how long. I watch.” –Danielle Bell, Foster High School
“I have a basket at the front of the room and they drop them in as they enter class. The basket is decorated with nice inspirational sayings to motivate them to finish the book and then I will stop taking their phones.” –Dawne Sanders, First Colony Middle School
“Ours is a class. Phones go in the locker before first period. No phones until after school, not even lunch. School policy.” –Paula Barger, First Baptist Christian Academy
“My school just went to an ‘Away for the Day’ policy. Heaven!” –Michael Hall, Marana Middle School
“First you must know that I teach high school students. I show them a basket at the beginning of the year we affectionately call the basket from hell. And if you can’t get your work done you must place your phone in the basket from hell. You may not get your phone until the bell rings. They hate the basket from hell. It’s funny to hear them whine, ‘Noooooooooooo, not the basket!’ ” –Kelli Lipe, Charlotte High School
“I have a similar thing, it’s a display case for Beanie Babies (I took it out of the Walgreens trash and let students know I did). If you can’t take care of your toys, they go in the toy box. They hate the ‘Beanie Baby Bin.’ ” –Sean Claes, Akins High School
“Absolutely! As a matter of fact, they get points deducted from their weekly participation grade if I catch them on their phone.” –Janet Dugart, Our Lady of the Hills Regional Catholic High School
“I’m inspired to start banning. It’s such a time waster!” –Thea Cain, Carroll High School
“When I’m at her school, [Highlands Ranch adviser] Alexandra Malach does ‘Power Half Hour’ where the kids put their phones down at the center of the room and the productivity goes through the roof. I love the idea and kids don’t feel like they’re being punished.” –Rob Rathbun, Balfour Colorado representative
“I teach HS. I have lots of feelings about this. I don’t ban phones because it’s not inhibiting their yearbook work (yet). I think they enjoy what they’re doing enough to be pretty diligent, MOST of the time. I believe that phones shouldn’t be banned from classrooms, particularly ours, because we are supposed to be teaching them how to use technology responsibly, like adults. Like it or not, phones are part of the world now and probably will from now on. My phone is out during class because I need it to be able to reach other teachers and faculty at times (no phone in my computer lab), and because I want them to see an adult who knows how to use a phone responsibly. They need to learn how to separate themselves from their personal issues on their phones, without me having to do it for them. I do have moments, where if the majority of people have their heads down, I say, ‘OK, I’m seeing a ton of phones and not a ton of work getting done!’ and that usually does the trick because they know I’m not afraid to call them out individually. I always give them a speech at the beginning of the year about how I’m not going to take up their phones because I want them to make the choice to use their phones wisely and responsibly. This policy has worked for me this year! Who know if I will be able to continue using it with future groups…to be fair, the ones I have this year are pretty amazing!” –Elizabeth Solomon, Summer Creek High School
“I do once in a while. They have assigned pockets in the cell phone parking lot that I use for my other classes. It if starts to become an issue, I warn them. If it remains an issue, then they’re on lockdown for a week and have to stow them at the beginning of class. Usually a warning is enough because they hate not having their phones.” –Margo Walter, Northern Cass School
“I allow them if contacting students who are not at school (i.e. they are gone for softball tournament or skills competition or stock show) to get quotes. But if I catch them messing around for no reason, the school’s phone policy kicks in and they have to pay or take a Saturday school to get it back. I’ve only had to follow through once…they all leanred from that one kid’s mistake.” –Caitlin Schmidt, Medina Valley High School
