Thursday. Third period.
It was a pause day in our reading of The Great Gatsby. The students had an assignment on various quotes from the book, and I was giving them the period to complete it. It was also some time for them to go over the chapters to prepare for an upcoming quiz.
I had explained the assignment, solicited questions, and released them to work independently. The room settled. I took a quick walk around the room to make sure they knew I was available for questions.
I passed behind Aria. She had a computer out, but propped on it was her phone. With a movie playing. Deep sigh.
"Are you going to get to work?" I asked, in my sweetest, quietest voice.
Aria turned towards me with a look of such malevolence that I was surprised her head did not continue all the way around in a full circle.
This is the girl who complained that I didn't give them more in class time to complete a previous assignment.
And so many of them had phones out and were clearly not working on the assignment.
Ah well. I suppose they don't need class time to finish their work anymore. Fine by me. I'd rather spend time on the chapters, anyway.
What a nasty child.
ReplyDeleteHere in NY our governor just signed into law a directive that students will not be able to have their phones during class time.
NYSUT (teacher’s union) spearheaded the push this year to pass a bell-to-bell policy that bans smart devices during the school day and empowers districts to develop their own storage plans and provisions for parent communications. The new policy will go into effect for the 2025-26 school year and applies to all schools in public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services. https://www.nysut.org/news/2025/may/bell-to-bell
That sounds nice. But pay attention. See how hard the parents push back... And districts develop their own storage plans and provisions? Yeah, that sounds like something that some districts won't implement (who's funding this?) and then we're right back where we started. I'd love to be wrong about this. I hope I'm wrong about this. But there's a reason why we *used to* have a phone ban but don't anymore...
DeleteI haven't read the Great Gatsby.
ReplyDeleteI must be missing something - parents push back on a phone ban? I can't imagine doing that. Obviously in an emergency they'd be able to use their phone, otherwise they shouldn't have them out.
ReplyDeleteAh, but teenagers can't leave their phones alone. To have an actual ban, they have to have them out of their possession during class time. I have heard from teachers about the pushback they get. The kids howl. And their parents back them up. (I don't get into it usually as I'm just following what the teacher already has set up.)
DeleteIt's a compulsion. They can't seem to leave their phones alone. And many parents want to know where the kiddos are at all times. I know some of the students lie when they say it's a parent texting them, but it's not always a lie.
I raised my son before smart phones became an issue but I honestly don't know how I would feel about a phone ban if my son was only a teenager, given...well, whatever can happen in the modern school. Sadly, phones are also an obsession for many adults. Who ever would have thought that phones would become like an addictive drug?
ReplyDeleteAh, see! You're not sure you'd be okay with a phone ban. That's what's going to happen. Again. They make the phones to be addictive. Colorful. Sounds. Kind of the same way they set up slot machines to draw people in. So many of the apps are set up to make money, so they want people (and kiddos) to keep on them like an appendage.
DeleteThe battle against the allure of the phones in the classroom is tough, no? Looks like you handled it with quite a lot of restraint.
ReplyDelete(My latest post: Day 2 in Sambhaji Nagar - Ellora Caves)
I understand Alana's point about phones in schools and the world we live in. However, the employees will have phones and the ability to phone for help (which is what I think she was suggesting). I overheard a mother say there was no way she was letting her middle school son go on a field trip if they weren't allowed to take their phones. "NO WAY!" she told her teen daughters. Why would he even want a phone on a field trip?
ReplyDeleteI get phones on field trips. That way you can keep track of where your kids are. We do have landline phones in the classrooms, and we have the ability to dial off campus, so yeah for "emergencies" one doesn't really *need* a cell phone.
DeleteI think maybe Oregon is trying to ban phone in classrooms. Not sure.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is trying. I hope they succeed. I hope rather than believe. Having been around teens and their phones, I rather doubt it'll take.
DeleteStudents like Aria are the ultimate challenges for a teacher. They won't do their work and then blame the teacher. I have had quite a few of them in class recently.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, she has a fairly decent grade in the class. I guess she does get the work accomplished. Eventually.
DeleteI would like to see phones banned in classrooms. My grandson is 12 and was asking for a phone recently. My daughter said no. lol
ReplyDelete