S/O phones in the classroom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what do you suggest parents do? I am genuinely asking. I have a rising freshman. All communications from the school say that phones are to be put away during class, unless specifically required by a teacher.
Our child has most notifications turned off and phone is always on silent. They’re generally a rule follower so I expect their phone will be out away during class.
Is this not enough? If not, what can we do? I don’t think sending them to school sans phones is realistic at this point.
FWIW, I teach early elementary so I have an appreciation for the realities of the classroom vs what a non-educator thinks is realistic.
Most parents do sincerely want to help, so how can we do that?

Why would having the phone away during class not be sufficient?

That’s what I am asking. It seems like a reasonable and effective expectation. But I am asking op if there is something I’m not seeing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what do you suggest parents do? I am genuinely asking. I have a rising freshman. All communications from the school say that phones are to be put away during class, unless specifically required by a teacher.
Our child has most notifications turned off and phone is always on silent. They’re generally a rule follower so I expect their phone will be out away during class.
Is this not enough? If not, what can we do? I don’t think sending them to school sans phones is realistic at this point.
FWIW, I teach early elementary so I have an appreciation for the realities of the classroom vs what a non-educator thinks is realistic.
Most parents do sincerely want to help, so how can we do that?

Why would having the phone away during class not be sufficient?

That’s what I am asking. It seems like a reasonable and effective expectation. But I am asking op if there is something I’m not seeing.

It’s theoretically reasonable, but not realistic because kids won’t put their phones away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what do you suggest parents do? I am genuinely asking. I have a rising freshman. All communications from the school say that phones are to be put away during class, unless specifically required by a teacher.
Our child has most notifications turned off and phone is always on silent. They’re generally a rule follower so I expect their phone will be out away during class.
Is this not enough? If not, what can we do? I don’t think sending them to school sans phones is realistic at this point.
FWIW, I teach early elementary so I have an appreciation for the realities of the classroom vs what a non-educator thinks is realistic.
Most parents do sincerely want to help, so how can we do that?

Why would having the phone away during class not be sufficient?

DP here (and a high school teacher)

Having the phone put away is all we ask! Students can have them in the room, but they shouldn’t be on them. It sounds like the PP’s student will likely abide by that rule.

Unfortunately, many don’t. I catch students watching YouTube videos on their phones every class period. I’m not allowed to confiscate. I’m not allowed to send them out. All I’m allowed to do is tell them to stop and call home. So I do, and it takes time out of my already ridiculously busy day. Almost 100% of the time the parents tell me they’ll address it and then nothing happens. The same child will be on the phone the next day. I then call home AGAIN and I’ll be told the same thing. Repeat. Repeat. I then stop calling because it’s clear to me I’m the only one who cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what do you suggest parents do? I am genuinely asking. I have a rising freshman. All communications from the school say that phones are to be put away during class, unless specifically required by a teacher.
Our child has most notifications turned off and phone is always on silent. They’re generally a rule follower so I expect their phone will be out away during class.
Is this not enough? If not, what can we do? I don’t think sending them to school sans phones is realistic at this point.
FWIW, I teach early elementary so I have an appreciation for the realities of the classroom vs what a non-educator thinks is realistic.
Most parents do sincerely want to help, so how can we do that?

Since teachers cannot issue consequences, you need to. My kid went to a private so the school took care of the consequences for phone use at school (usually detention). If a teacher messaged/called me that my kid was using his phone in class against the rules, he'd lose the phone for at least a week.

[Anonymous]

Mcps staff member here...I'm thinking the phone issue may be why I send my kids to private high school. I was hearing even if you don't send your kid to school with a phone...it's hard for them to not sit near a friend who has one and be tempted/distracted.

[Anonymous]

OP here the reality is that kids don't put their phones away. Then they lie to their parents about it. To the parent that asked what you can do?
If your child's teacher reaches out to tell you that your child's phone use is a problem please believe them. I have no reason to lie about your child's phone use.
Kids know that the phones are supposed to be put away and silent but many classes are disrupted by notifications of some sort.
We have way too many "emergencies". Parents always seem to have an excuse why their kid needs an exception.
Again private schools have taken a hardline on this and Parents don't seem to push back nearly as much. Too many parents think that public school means that they get to do whatever they want.
County school boards also need to provide expectations to parents in the school district. Teachers are given very little support and we are expected to be the enforcers.
As I said in previous post I had a parent threaten me over their child's phone use. It's simply not worth it for me to get hurt trying to enforce a rule.
Thanks to the parents that try to work with us. I appreciate it when parents work with me as a partner in their child's education.

[Anonymous]

Teachers often ask parents not to send kids with phones and the kids do anyway. Or they won't put in the parent controls to keep the phones off during the school day. So you can't blame teachers for the phone issue-- it's parents and a larger system issue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public school teacher here, based on the responses on the other thread I dont think parents realize how much of a phone problem we have. Kids refuse to put their phones away, it's a major distraction. Parents like to talk about classroom management but teachers are no longer allowed to hand out real consequences. Private schools work because the rules are enforceable!
The last two years have been rough on us teachers! I cope by no longer caring. It's sad but true. If your kid doesn't learn that's on them.
If parents want to help they need to keep phones out of classrooms!

I guess that's probably why our MCPS school doesn't allow them the classroom. They confiscate them if students don't comply so we don't have these problems.

This needs to be the MCPS-wide policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public school teacher here, based on the responses on the other thread I dont think parents realize how much of a phone problem we have. Kids refuse to put their phones away, it's a major distraction. Parents like to talk about classroom management but teachers are no longer allowed to hand out real consequences. Private schools work because the rules are enforceable!
The last two years have been rough on us teachers! I cope by no longer caring. It's sad but true. If your kid doesn't learn that's on them.
If parents want to help they need to keep phones out of classrooms!

I guess that's probably why our MCPS school doesn't allow them the classroom. They confiscate them if students don't comply so we don't have these problems.

This needs to be the MCPS-wide policy.

I would be in total support of the MCPS policy allowing teachers to confiscate phones if they are disrupting class. First strike, kid can get it at the end of the day. Second strike, parents have to pick it up. Third strike, parents again have to pick it up and student and parent waive the right to bring it to school if it happens again. I’m probably in the minority though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what do you suggest parents do? I am genuinely asking. I have a rising freshman. All communications from the school say that phones are to be put away during class, unless specifically required by a teacher.
Our child has most notifications turned off and phone is always on silent. They’re generally a rule follower so I expect their phone will be out away during class.
Is this not enough? If not, what can we do? I don’t think sending them to school sans phones is realistic at this point.
FWIW, I teach early elementary so I have an appreciation for the realities of the classroom vs what a non-educator thinks is realistic.
Most parents do sincerely want to help, so how can we do that?

Kids don’t put their phones away. A few kids do but many do not. Parents should email Dr. McKnight and request that MCPS develop a uniform cell phone policy across all schools that will be enforced. I don’t even care if kids keep their phone in their backpack but it should not come out during class time. If kids pull it out repeatedly, teachers should be able to take it until the end of the day (with back up from administration). If enough parents demand it, MCPS will act. They do not listen to teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what do you suggest parents do? I am genuinely asking. I have a rising freshman. All communications from the school say that phones are to be put away during class, unless specifically required by a teacher.
Our child has most notifications turned off and phone is always on silent. They’re generally a rule follower so I expect their phone will be out away during class.
Is this not enough? If not, what can we do? I don’t think sending them to school sans phones is realistic at this point.
FWIW, I teach early elementary so I have an appreciation for the realities of the classroom vs what a non-educator thinks is realistic.
Most parents do sincerely want to help, so how can we do that?

Kids don’t put their phones away. A few kids do but many do not. Parents should email Dr. McKnight and request that MCPS develop a uniform cell phone policy across all schools that will be enforced. I don’t even care if kids keep their phone in their backpack but it should not come out during class time. If kids pull it out repeatedly, teachers should be able to take it until the end of the day (with back up from administration). If enough parents demand it, MCPS will act. They do not listen to teachers

That’s the policy at my kid’s K-8. All phones must be turned off and in backpacks for the entire day, including during lunch and free time. If a kid violates the policy, the phone will be confiscated. It’s a total ban from arrival to dismissal.

Don’t know if that’s feasible on the HS level, but it would seem MCPS could at least ban them during class.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here - I put my youngest son in private high school primarily because of the phone issue. At school, cell phone use is rampant especially among boys. I don’t even blame the kids. I blame MCPS for not setting clear boundaries and consequences for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what do you suggest parents do? I am genuinely asking. I have a rising freshman. All communications from the school say that phones are to be put away during class, unless specifically required by a teacher.
Our child has most notifications turned off and phone is always on silent. They’re generally a rule follower so I expect their phone will be out away during class.
Is this not enough? If not, what can we do? I don’t think sending them to school sans phones is realistic at this point.
FWIW, I teach early elementary so I have an appreciation for the realities of the classroom vs what a non-educator thinks is realistic.
Most parents do sincerely want to help, so how can we do that?

Kids don’t put their phones away. A few kids do but many do not. Parents should email Dr. McKnight and request that MCPS develop a uniform cell phone policy across all schools that will be enforced. I don’t even care if kids keep their phone in their backpack but it should not come out during class time. If kids pull it out repeatedly, teachers should be able to take it until the end of the day (with back up from administration). If enough parents demand it, MCPS will act. They do not listen to teachers

Teacher here.
I would need that policy to say I am not liable for the phone once it is confiscated. I know a teacher who confiscated a phone years ago. Another student stole it from her desk and she ended up paying for it. I don’t have anything that locks in my room, so this would be a huge concern of mine.

[Anonymous]

The issue is not the policy. The issue is consistency and enforcement.

MCPS does not equip schools with the resources to enforce its policy. Also, some admin care less about it than others, so those admin turn a blind eye to it.

Also, some teachers who are intimidated by their students or want to be liked and seen as the “cool teacher” are lax about it, which makes kids resistant when another is strict about the policy.

The truth is, without a way to enforce the policy that isn’t just on the teachers, this issue will continue to plague MCPS schools indefinitely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what do you suggest parents do? I am genuinely asking. I have a rising freshman. All communications from the school say that phones are to be put away during class, unless specifically required by a teacher.
Our child has most notifications turned off and phone is always on silent. They’re generally a rule follower so I expect their phone will be out away during class.
Is this not enough? If not, what can we do? I don’t think sending them to school sans phones is realistic at this point.
FWIW, I teach early elementary so I have an appreciation for the realities of the classroom vs what a non-educator thinks is realistic.
Most parents do sincerely want to help, so how can we do that?

Why would having the phone away during class not be sufficient?

That’s what I am asking. It seems like a reasonable and effective expectation. But I am asking op if there is something I’m not seeing.

It would be sufficient, if the students followed the rules. The problem is that when some students do not follow the rule, and nothing happens to them, then other students figure they can break the rules too. On top of this, when a student does not understand class concepts (because they are on their phone too much), the administrator pushes the teacher to allow more and more reassessments. As a result, the student ends the class with a good grade. This causes students, parents, and administrators to ask what is wrong with the phone use if the grades are so good?

Bottom line, I think the county needs to allow teachers to have actual consequences. I don't think there is anything the teacher or parent can do if the county does not allow consequences to occur.