Cell Phone Battle

With several weeks of student teaching behind me, I have spent many hours in the classroom with students and their cell phones. I have seen many teachers encourage students to use them for research, and I have also seen teachers instruct students to put them in pouches as soon as they enter the classroom. So which is the best method?

I’m not sure I can give a definitive answer. On one hand, I am in favor of students using them to look up information. A cell phone is a computer, and they’re tempted to use it anyway, so why not let them have it in their hands so they’re not constantly checking it during class?

But what if while you think they’re using it for class, they’re really asking their friends what the plans for Friday night are? Or what if they’re snapchatting a picture of the classroom?

To take away cell phones completely, in my opinion, creates more problems. It could be a daily argument to tell students to put their phones in pouches, or cause a traffic jam when class ends and everyone rushes to get their phones to see who texted them (even though all of their friends are most likely in class).

This is why I believe in letting students keep their phones on their desk. This allows a teacher to be able to see where everyone’s phone is at all times. No one should be hiding their cell phone behind a book or inside their backpack while texting. If students can see their phone at all times, I think it takes away the temptation to check it (to some degree). Let’s face it, we’re all addicted to our phones. When I get a free minute during the day in between classes I am checking mine too. Kids have seen the way adults are tied to their phones, and therefore they have succumbed to it as well. Giving in to the cell phone battle will only help in the long run.

I do realize that not every student will have a smartphone (hopefully none of the elementary kids do), and this could lead to a student feeling left out. If a project involves looking up information on a phone, a simple way to involve everyone is to put them in groups. This ensures that any students without smartphones are not left behind.

Whether we like it or not, students are always going to be using their cell phones regardless of it being allowed or not. We have to choose our battles, and I would much rather give students a chance to use their phones for the benefit of classwork than to argue with them to put it away and go to the office if they refuse.