Increasingly schools, districts, and some states are moving to widespread bans on phones.
Some bans merely enact a “no phone” policy and put it on the schools and teachers to figure out enforcement. ( Gee, thanks.. .) Other bans go a step further and provide locked pouches or bags that students are required to use.
With all of the strongly worded policies, it seems like things should be easier for teachers.
Unfortunately, that is rarely the case unless your school administration takes over the monitoring and enforcement of cell phones.
The shift toward banning phone use in class seems to be making slow yet steady progress.
However, many teachers still find themselves in the familiar position of having to create and uphold their own classroom phone policy.
If you’re one of those teachers still responsible for managing student cell phones, we’ll talk you through a few options.
With this approach, you ask your students to be responsible and mature with their phones during class. You tell your classes that you prefer they put their phones away but ultimately, that decision is up to each student. You believe that if they want to learn the material (and pass your class), students will need to self-regulate and put their phones away on their own.
Option #1 works better with high school students . If you are teaching younger grades, most educators would agree those students aren’t ready for this amount of independence.
If you go with Option #1, you feel good for the first few weeks when students are typically at their most compliant.
After the honeymoon phase, you notice phones becoming more visible in your class. At first, the students are mostly paying attention during your lesson introductions. Then, as soon as the classwork starts, the phones come out. Within a month, you even catch students looking at their phones while you’re talking!
Don’t feel too bad – cell phones are not easy to compete with. Multi-billion dollar companies ensure the content on phones is highly engaging.
If Option #1 goes bad on you, the result can be a teacher’s worst nightmare.
Picture this: you’re at the board explaining a concept to the six students who “want to learn” while the rest are looking down at their devices. It can happen. Nobody became a teacher for that.
When I briefly experimented with Option #1 in my class, I began to hear students complain that “he didn’t teach us this” and “we never learned that”. My guess is they were engaged with their phones when I taught “that”. Considering the time and effort I and all teachers put into lesson and unit planning, that type of complaint gets old fast.
One more consideration: teachers who are lenient with phone rules tend to see more incidents of students filming and posting videos from that class to social media. Occasionally, these videos are inappropriate – not a good look for the teacher in charge.
With this option, your expectation is that students put their phones away (out of sight) during class. You explain that the purpose of this policy is to maximize student learning and promote student interaction and collaboration. Plus, you really don’t want to teach with large numbers of students looking down at their phones. With option #2, because you’re not a monster, you occasionally allow students to use phones on assignments and to listen to music during independent work times or after tests.
If you select Option #2, you clearly explain this policy to the students on the very first day of school. They nod in agreement! They get it. Everyone in the room knows that cell phones are a distraction. You feel good about this policy for the first couple of weeks.
But by the third week of school, you notice the phones are being put away more slowly at the start of your class. Your repeated requests to put phones away are now met with the occasional eye roll. Several students start leaving their phones on their desks during class instead of tucking them into a backpack. They want to see what you’ll do.
One day, when you ask a student to put a phone away, you get this reply: “Just a sec, I need to text my mom real quick”. You don’t buy it…good for you!
But bad news: your policy is being tested.
Two scenarios to think about (because they will BOTH happen):
If you choose Option #2: you are committing yourself to daily reminders and possibly the application of more punitive consequences if and when students don’t comply.
You designate an area in class with pockets (like shoe holders) that are numbered. Students are assigned a number — maybe it’s on their desk — and are then required to put their phone in the correct pocket as they walk into the room. Your goal is a distraction-free learning environment. You hear wild rumors of other teachers on campus taking attendance by looking to see whose phone is not in the correct pocket. You don’t plan to do that. At the end of class, students grab their phones on the way out.
Note: We understand some districts no longer allow this option because it dispossesses students of their property during class.
If you pick Option #3, you start the year with some unhappy students. They’re unhappy because they really don’t want to give up their phones. Students who might lack the resilience or confidence to work through academic challenges are suddenly the most persistent humans on the planet. They. Want. Their. Phones.
Committing to the policy is critical. Students will test it. What if a student decides to stop complying? If you don’t enforce your policy, you’ll quickly see more and more students refuse to turn in their phones. By mid-September, your empty cell phone pockets will hang as a daily reminder that your rules are meaningless.
Key: be sure to have an orderly system of dismissal to reduce the opportunity of a student snagging another student’s phone. The last thing you want is for an administrator to email you about stolen cell phones during your class.
When considering the right cell phone policy for your class, think about the role that rules play in how students view you and your class.
In general, one challenge for all teachers is to be the authority figure while simultaneously being liked by the students. Every teacher wants to be the “popular” teacher – it’s human nature.
Some teachers will solve this problem by creating a classroom with total freedom. They indulge the students in whatever request may arise. These teachers never say “no”. Their reputation on campus is “fun and easygoing”. Cell phones are an especially tempting area for a teacher to be “fun and easygoing” with.
As with all things, balance is best.
Balance being “nice” while holding firm to your 3-5 absolutes. Many students will thank you (non-verbally, to themselves) for maintaining order amid a world full of chaos.
