Time for a Change

Throughout all of my public-school years, cellphones were things that everyone had, but no one was allowed to use once in school. They were a distraction from class, not a part of it. They were every teacher's enemy. That always made sense to me. I saw kids using cellphones in class as something bad, as those kids not being invested in school. I saw it as goofing off, because I know that's what I always did on my phone. It never occurred to me that they could have been communicating with a family member or dealing with issues outside school. It really never occurred to me that kids today don't know how to communicate without technology or just don't have time to. I remember how structured school was for me when I was in high school. I was in class from 7 until 2:30 with practices after school until 5. And now it's even more structured for kids. Their cellphones connect them to the outside world, a world where they don't have to be thinking all the time, where they don't have constant expectations, where the education system isn't breathing down their necks. Our students need that. Whoa, what? Kids need freedom too? Weird. I always used to agree with strict cellphone policies, but that was selfish of me. I saw cellphone use in class as disrespectful to the teacher, as being off task and as not being invested in their education. I never looked at it from the students' point of view. They aren’t disrespecting you by looking at their phone, they are taking care of their social connections, they are communicating with family, they are taking care of their relationships. Relationships are huge for everyone, but especially kids trying to survive middle and high school. Students need to know that we care about all aspects of their lives, not just how they are doing in our class or how much they are learning from us or how much attention they give us. We would be more effective in classroom management with regards to cellphones if we used them to our advantage. There are so many tools available now that give students excuses to use their phones and their social media platforms. Technology has changed the world and has made a huge impact on generational gaps. The kids in our classes have never known a world without technology, yet we are still teaching like technology is a last resort. It's education's turn to change for these kids and make their learning more meaningful to the times we are in.


https://www.hol.edu/blog/why-you-should-consider-permitting-cell-phones-in-your-middle-school-music