APS High School Cell Phone Policy

[Anonymous]

I teach at Yorktown and remind my students every day at the start of class that cell phones, laptops and AirPods are to be put away. I have a little crate that I ask students to leave their phones in when they do have their phones anywhere that I can see them. The only time I want to see their phones is when they go to the restroom. They must show them to me and leave them in the classroom. I don't want students meeting up in the halls or dillydallying.

Devices don't come out when kids are done with their work. They are pointed to the page numbers of what they could be studying and the rows of books they could be reading in my classroom. I do let them use their devices in the middle of our blocks when I give them a 3-5 minute break. However, I also encourage them to stop being "screenagers" and go talk to a friend in the classroom. When students ask if they can put in their AirPods and listen to music, I remind them that I play the music.

I've been a whole lot stricter this year about devices in general. I think it's working! There are no fights, and the rules are very clear. The one kid that wanted to argue about it was invited to speak to me about it after school. He declined.

I don't think what I've been doing would have worked when I taught in DC or Alexandria. Those kids would have sworn at me (both places), hit me (Alexandria - was asked if I wanted to press charges) or threatened to bring the other males in the household to come beat me up (DC - received no support from admin). The kids I've had at Yorktown have been FANTASTIC!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach at Yorktown and remind my students every day at the start of class that cell phones, laptops and AirPods are to be put away. I have a little crate that I ask students to leave their phones in when they do have their phones anywhere that I can see them. The only time I want to see their phones is when they go to the restroom. They must show them to me and leave them in the classroom. I don't want students meeting up in the halls or dillydallying.

Devices don't come out when kids are done with their work. They are pointed to the page numbers of what they could be studying and the rows of books they could be reading in my classroom. I do let them use their devices in the middle of our blocks when I give them a 3-5 minute break. However, I also encourage them to stop being "screenagers" and go talk to a friend in the classroom. When students ask if they can put in their AirPods and listen to music, I remind them that I play the music.

I've been a whole lot stricter this year about devices in general. I think it's working! There are no fights, and the rules are very clear. The one kid that wanted to argue about it was invited to speak to me about it after school. He declined.

I don't think what I've been doing would have worked when I taught in DC or Alexandria. Those kids would have sworn at me (both places), hit me (Alexandria - was asked if I wanted to press charges) or threatened to bring the other males in the household to come beat me up (DC - received no support from admin). The kids I've had at Yorktown have been FANTASTIC!

You sound like a wonderful teacher! I just don’t understand why students have to have their phone at all during the day. Can’t they hand them in at the beginning of the day (or keep them in their lockers)? Then they can have their phone back at the end of the day. I just wish there was a no cell phone policy. I understand that parents want to check on their snowflakes during the day or are worried about the very unlikely event of a school shooting. But getting kids of screens, forcing them to socialize with the humans in around of them, sounds like a better policy.

[Anonymous]

For those wanting teachers to collect phones, you can keep them at home. I’m not going to do that and put all of the liability on me to be accused of a phone being broken or stolen while it was in my possession. I understand you want your kid to have a phone for emergencies. If there was an emergency, do you expect me to stop and hand out 30 phones?

I have a teen and he brings a phone to school. If teachers try to collect it he says he doesn’t have one and keeps it in his backpack. Most teachers don’t have a secure place to lock things and theft is real problem.

[Anonymous]

I wish people would stop asking about lockers. It's been long established that HS kids don't have them. Anyone who did BTSN knows how hard it is to get between classes in the huge buildings with only 5 minutes. Good luck if you need to use the restroom!

I told my kid to keep it in the backpack and that worked in most classes. Several high schools did have lockdowns last year and the kids were stuck in their rooms for a long time. The phones helped them connect with their parents (who were getting more info from them than from APS) and check in on friends to make sure everyone was OK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some teachers have phone cubbies the students have to use. I hate that. It's gross to me. Let them keep them in their bags and only remove them if the student is abusing the privilege.

Some teachers don’t want to waste your precious snowflake’s instructional time when they have to address the inevitable phone misuse. Be grateful. They’ll live.

How is the teacher doing to know of the kid leaves it in their backpack?

Huh? I don’t understand what you’re trying to say. I can tell you that with 28 teenagers in a room… someone is going to pull out their phone. Probably several someones within a block period. And then it has to be addressed. And class stopped. It’s not worth the loss of instructional time. Let the teachers take the phones so they can get on with the business of teaching.

If you have a HS kid who knows not to pull out there phone, so they actually leave it in their bag, how would the teacher know? That's the question. If the idea of phone cubbies is displeasing, can't the kid just keep the phone in the backpack? Surely not everyone has a phone.

You lost me when you said surely not everyone has a phone.

DP. Well, my 15 year old has one but won't take it to school. I may be the only mom wishing their child would take their phone to school. It comes in handy when practice is running late or the child decides to stay after school for something spontaneously, or other situations -- basic communication! However, for the most part, since everybody else has a phone, my child tends to borrow one from someone else when needed to contact me. Still, that doesn't help me contact my child with last-minute questions or info.

[Anonymous]

So kids not having enough time to go to lockers because of their supersize schools is yet ANOTHER reason APS needs ANOTHER high school.

Let me guess, HBW have lockers and use them because their school is not 3000 people crammed in a 2000 person building.

In the short term why not simply give the kids 10 minute break?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So kids not having enough time to go to lockers because of their supersize schools is yet ANOTHER reason APS needs ANOTHER high school.

Let me guess, HBW have lockers and use them because their school is not 3000 people crammed in a 2000 person building.

In the short term why not simply give the kids 10 minute break?

They get a lunch break. With block scheduling, they should only need to carry materials for a few classes at a time and then change out during lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So kids not having enough time to go to lockers because of their supersize schools is yet ANOTHER reason APS needs ANOTHER high school.

Let me guess, HBW have lockers and use them because their school is not 3000 people crammed in a 2000 person building.

In the short term why not simply give the kids 10 minute break?

They get a lunch break. With block scheduling, they should only need to carry materials for a few classes at a time and then change out during lunch.

PP said they don’t have time in between to use lockers. Obviously we want to encourage them to keep phones in lockers so allowing enough time on between classes to facilitate that is worthwhile.

And HBW has enough time because they have a smaller school with less kids so less of a marathon. Will WL kids have lockers in the annex?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So kids not having enough time to go to lockers because of their supersize schools is yet ANOTHER reason APS needs ANOTHER high school.

Let me guess, HBW have lockers and use them because their school is not 3000 people crammed in a 2000 person building.

In the short term why not simply give the kids 10 minute break?

They get a lunch break. With block scheduling, they should only need to carry materials for a few classes at a time and then change out during lunch.

PP said they don’t have time in between to use lockers. Obviously we want to encourage them to keep phones in lockers so allowing enough time on between classes to facilitate that is worthwhile.

And HBW has enough time because they have a smaller school with less kids so less of a marathon. Will WL kids have lockers in the annex?

My point is that they don't necessarily have to go to lockers between classes; they can go mid-way through the day during their lunch break.

What does having time between classes to go to lockers have to do with keeping their phones in lockers? They can put phones in lockers before their first class. And if they can't do that for whatever reason, they can turn them off and put them in their backpacks. I don't care if they're in lockers or muted in backpacks, as long as they're not out or audible during class.

Also, not all kids can even get lockers if they wanted them because there are more students than lockers.

[Anonymous]

Hey, your town, the students can request lockers, but most of them don’t because it is incredibly inconvenient. Besides not having enough time to go between classes, the amount of time given for lunch was reduced this year. They aren’t going to start using lockers. They should be able to keep their phones in their backpacks and, if they can’t, they face a consequence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey, your town, the students can request lockers, but most of them don’t because it is incredibly inconvenient. Besides not having enough time to go between classes, the amount of time given for lunch was reduced this year. They aren’t going to start using lockers. They should be able to keep their phones in their backpacks and, if they can’t, they face a consequence.

This was made very clear to parents and students alike at our middle school – nobody is checking lockers to make sure phones are in there. That phones are on silent and tucked away is what matters. Teachers shouldn’t have to police this stuff. If kids are deemed old enough to have a phone, they’re old enough to know when it should be out of sight and silent. If they can’t figure that out, the parents need to take the phones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, your town, the students can request lockers, but most of them don’t because it is incredibly inconvenient. Besides not having enough time to go between classes, the amount of time given for lunch was reduced this year. They aren’t going to start using lockers. They should be able to keep their phones in their backpacks and, if they can’t, they face a consequence.

This was made very clear to parents and students alike at our middle school – nobody is checking lockers to make sure phones are in there. That phones are on silent and tucked away is what matters. Teachers shouldn’t have to police this stuff. If kids are deemed old enough to have a phone, they’re old enough to know when it should be out of sight and silent. If they can’t figure that out, the parents need to take the phones.

Don't kids still share lockers in middle school? My kids are a bit older but they did at Swanson when they were there. No way would I put anything valuable in a shared locker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, your town, the students can request lockers, but most of them don’t because it is incredibly inconvenient. Besides not having enough time to go between classes, the amount of time given for lunch was reduced this year. They aren’t going to start using lockers. They should be able to keep their phones in their backpacks and, if they can’t, they face a consequence.

This was made very clear to parents and students alike at our middle school – nobody is checking lockers to make sure phones are in there. That phones are on silent and tucked away is what matters. Teachers shouldn’t have to police this stuff. If kids are deemed old enough to have a phone, they’re old enough to know when it should be out of sight and silent. If they can’t figure that out, the parents need to take the phones.

It would help if parents set examples by not using their phones all the time - during their kids' performances and games, for instance.

[Anonymous]

My DD is at Wakefield. You ne teacher cares and collects phones. Others put up with it. It is a sign of our times