Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m nervous about my kid who has a medical exception. They won’t flaunt it, but I’m worried they’ll be in trouble every time an unfamiliar teacher sees them…

Is it the kind of thing that has to be checked in the hallways within seconds of an alert? Or can they duck into an office/classroom/clinic as long as it's checked within a minute or two?

I teach at one of the biggest schools in the county and there are so few true exceptions (not, "omg my mom is calling me!" but "If I don't address this medical issue right now I could pass out.") we honestly know those kids. Your child will walk the same paths at the same time each day, and staff will know them, even if they aren't in their classes.

My kid has a medical exemption as well. And trust that teachers don't realize it. Staff at a large HS don't know and always assume the worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher who is STRICT with the phones in my room and that policy is a life saver. I don’t see how we manage it in halls between classes and at lunch though. And part of why it works in the class is they can have them in the halls and at lunch.

+1
I don't care if kids have them during lunch and in the halls. It's the classroom that matters.

To a teacher I can see this, but for the overall school community it absolutely matters not to have phones in the halls and at lunch. So much more in-person interaction (for better and for worse) requiring kids to, you know, work on in-person interaction.

And as far as enforcement, see phone, take phone to office can work. It's even better if parents have to pick it up every time.

I'm the PP and I completely agree with you. I just meant the most crucial place to ban phones is in the classroom, but I'm thrilled to see this policy and hope schools enforce it (bell-to-bell). It's long past time.

We had the same policy last year except kids could use it during passing periods. Now they can still use it during lunch. Not much has changed. Stop acting like this is some new plan that will be miraculous.

Thanks for your advice, but I'm happy with this policy and hope it's enforced. No one said anything about "miraculous," just that it's long overdue.

I’m confused on your response. The policy (almost identical) literally was in place last year. It’s really not new. The only difference is this year they can’t use phones in passing periods. Which will be really hard to enforce and is sort of stupid to be honest. Really, who cares if they use phones in passing periods which don’t even affect actual class time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher who is STRICT with the phones in my room and that policy is a life saver. I don’t see how we manage it in halls between classes and at lunch though. And part of why it works in the class is they can have them in the halls and at lunch.

+1
I don't care if kids have them during lunch and in the halls. It's the classroom that matters.

To a teacher I can see this, but for the overall school community it absolutely matters not to have phones in the halls and at lunch. So much more in-person interaction (for better and for worse) requiring kids to, you know, work on in-person interaction.

And as far as enforcement, see phone, take phone to office can work. It's even better if parents have to pick it up every time.

I'm the PP and I completely agree with you. I just meant the most crucial place to ban phones is in the classroom, but I'm thrilled to see this policy and hope schools enforce it (bell-to-bell). It's long past time.

We had the same policy last year except kids could use it during passing periods. Now they can still use it during lunch. Not much has changed. Stop acting like this is some new plan that will be miraculous.

Thanks for your advice, but I'm happy with this policy and hope it's enforced. No one said anything about "miraculous," just that it's long overdue.

I’m confused on your response. The policy (almost identical) literally was in place last year. It’s really not new. The only difference is this year they can’t use phones in passing periods. Which will be really hard to enforce and is sort of stupid to be honest. Really, who cares if they use phones in passing periods which don’t even affect actual class time?

+1

[Anonymous]

We've been told that phones must be off and in backpacks, and if the phone is visible or heard, to immediately call admin/security to come take the phone away. No warnings, no discussion.

[Anonymous]

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

It keeps kids' brains focused on IRL and people and what's happening in front of/around them, rather than being phone zombies who take breaks (classtime) during the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.

Couldn’t this all still happen at lunch? Phones are still allowed at lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.

Couldn’t this all still happen at lunch? Phones are still allowed at lunch.

Sure but you’ve eliminated 75% of opportunities. At lunch they’ll talk to the friends present (hopefully) because the friends not present/with a different lunch block can’t respond.

Would I love it to be 100% all day with no phones on their person after the first bell rings? YES! But that’s not happening, so I’ll take what I can get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've been told that phones must be off and in backpacks, and if the phone is visible or heard, to immediately call admin/security to come take the phone away. No warnings, no discussion.

Excellent. Should have been (seriously) implemented long ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.

HS Teacher, love this perspective.
-One question, who and how will the ban be enforced? Won't teachers/ staff just get tired of asking kids to put away their phones all day every day? Are there any actual consequences that the school said they would enforce?
-I think some schools, with weak leadership & weak classroom management skills will just throw in the towel by week 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.

The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.

HS Teacher, love this perspective.
-One question, who and how will the ban be enforced? Won't teachers/ staff just get tired of asking kids to put away their phones all day every day? Are there any actual consequences that the school said they would enforce?
-I think some schools, with weak leadership & weak classroom management skills will just throw in the towel by week 4.

It’s going to be a ton of work. We have all been assigned 45 minutes every other day during what used to be our planning (it’s now basically a duty period) to patrol hallways and bathrooms. If we see a phone out we are to ask the student to give it to us and we take it to the office. If the student refuses, we have an email address we reach out to with the time/location and a description of the child and admin will pull up cameras and track down the child. The email goes to all admin and security people in the whole building and whoever is available comes to get it. It worked well last year with classroom issues, we’ll see how it goes with the hallways.

Confiscated phones result in detention and parent pickup.

My school is going all in. Principal had stated multiple times already we cannot back off of it and we will have the hall monitor duties all year.

It sucks to lose so much planning but teachers are (mostly) willing to do it because the phones have created such a horrific learning environment. I wish kids wouldn’t bring them to school at all but that’s not reality so we are doing the best we can with what we have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?

HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.

The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.

It is super easy for me to say it’s a paper/pencil day and we aren’t using laptops at all. I rarely have kids on devices in my room.

But even when I do, 90% of kids are using computers for schoolwork. 2% of kids were using their phones in the same manner.