Cell Phones in the Classroom

True story.

Before our cell phone policy is as strict as it now is, one year a student at our school realized that her friend was late to school. She texted her and received no response. It didn't really worry her, as this girl was often forgetting her cell phone at home or she thought that maybe she had just arrived to school and would be in class shortly. She did, however, decide to text the girl's mother, who thought that maybe her daughter had car trouble, so she started out following the same path that her daughter takes to school.

What she came upon was her daughter's vehicle on its roof and her deceased daughter underneath the car.

I just always wished that the girl sitting in class had not texted the mother. That was something that she didn't need to see.

The NCC policy is great. I wonder if it would hold up in a public school setting if a parent claimed the school had the right to take it but has no right to keep it...

Originally Posted by Plato

The NCC policy is great. I wonder if it would hold up in a public school setting if a parent claimed the school had the right to take it but has no right to keep it...

Probably not.

Originally Posted by Plato

The NCC policy is great. I wonder if it would hold up in a public school setting if a parent claimed the school had the right to take it but has no right to keep it...

It would not. We battle parents about cell phone. No telling how many times kids will get busted with cell phones that the parent was texting them.

Originally Posted by sweet16

It would not. We battle parents about cell phone. No telling how many times kids will get busted with cell phones that the parent was texting them.

I believe it.

I don't have a problem with them bringing a cell phone to school, but there is no reason for them to be in the classroom. Their cell phones need to be left in their lockers. They can use them on lunch break only.

Originally Posted by coldweatherfan

I don't have a problem with them bringing a cell phone to school, but there is no reason for them to be in the classroom. Their cell phones need to be left in their lockers. They can use them on lunch break only.

Why not allow them in the classroom with the provision they cannot be used other than extreme situations?

Originally Posted by Clyde

Why not allow them in the classroom with the provision they cannot be used other than extreme situations?

You know as well as I do. If they have cell phones available they are going to use them. They don't need to be in the class room.

If there is an emergency at home, you call the school and they get in touch with the student pretty much immediately.

If there is an extreme situation at school they can get permission from their teacher to go to their locker, or the school will call the parent, pretty much immediately.

Originally Posted by coldweatherfan

You know as well as I do. If they have cell phones available they are going to use them. They don't need to be in the class room.

If there is an emergency at home, you call the school and they get in touch with the student pretty much immediately.

If there is an extreme situation at school they can get permission from their teacher to go to their locker, or the school will call the parent, pretty much immediately.

If you read through this thread you'll see that TB&G has no issues with kids pulling out their phones in her classroom even though she knows they possess them. Why? She's a hammer and enforces the strict rules. It's really that simple IMO.

And when I say "emergency" I'm not talking about being sick or needing a ride. I'm talking about Columbine.

Originally Posted by Clyde

If you read through this thread you'll see that TB&G has no issues with kids pulling out their phones in her classroom even though she knows they possess them. Why? She's a hammer and enforces the strict rules. It's really that simple IMO.

And when I say "emergency" I'm not talking about being sick or needing a ride. I'm talking about Columbine.

I know a bunch of teachers and hear them complain all the time about the kids and their cell phones. Teachers work hard enough trying to educate. They shouldn't have to worry about whether a student is using a cell phone or not. Cell phones are a distraction. Strict rule - Leave it in your locker.

Sorry, maybe it's just me, I don't buy the Columbine defense.

1 - We can't live in fear for ever because of Columbine.
2 - I don't believe having a cell phone would have saved anyone.
3 - Most schools now have much greater security set up because of Columbine. You can't get into our school without setting off an alarm unless someone with authority lets you in.
4 - How many times has something like that happened?
5 - How did we make it through school for so many years without having cell phones.

Originally Posted by coldweatherfan

I know a bunch of teachers and hear them complain all the time about the kids and their cell phones. Teachers work hard enough trying to educate. They shouldn't have to worry about whether a student is using a cell phone or not. Cell phones are a distraction. Strict rule - Leave it in your locker.

Sorry, maybe it's just me, I don't buy the Columbine defense.

1 - We can't live in fear for ever because of Columbine.
2 - I don't believe having a cell phone would have saved anyone.
3 - Most schools now have much greater security set up because of Columbine. You can't get into our school without setting off an alarm unless someone with authority lets you in.
4 - How many times has something like that happened?
5 - How did we make it through school for so many years without having cell phones.

The teachers that are having issues are either weak at enforcing the school rules OR the school itself is weak.

It's very easy to get kids to keep the phones in the pockets. You just have to have very severe punishments.

Originally Posted by Clyde

The teachers that are having issues are either weak at enforcing the school rules OR the school itself is weak.

It's very easy to get kids to keep the phones in the pockets. You just have to have very severe punishments.

Sorry I don't buy, blame the teachers either.

Too many of these kids have no respect for authoity, and in reality so do a bunch of parents. Our school has a phone confiscation policy, and there are a bunch of parents down there fighting with the school to get their kids phone back. Which is basiclly telling the kid, go ahead and break the rules, I'll protect you.

It's easier to make them leave them in their locker.

We are going to disagree forever on this one. IMO they don't need them in the class so they don't need to bring them to class.

And the biggest question of all. Why in the heck do they need to have them in the classroom?

Originally Posted by coldweatherfan

Sorry I don't buy, blame the teachers either.

Too many of these kids have no respect for authoity, and in reality so do a bunch of parents. Our school has a phone confiscation policy, and there are a bunch of parents down there fighting with the school to get their kids phone back. Which is basiclly telling the kid, go ahead and break the rules, I'll protect you.

It's easier to make them leave them in their locker.

We are going to disagree forever on this one. IMO they don't need them in the class so they don't need to bring them to class.

And the biggest question of all. Why in the heck do they need to have them in the classroom?

If the school is weak and giving into the parents then the school has no one else to blame. It's a simple policy to enforce. You just have to enforce it.

Originally Posted by Clyde

If the school is weak and giving into the parents then the school has no one else to blame. It's a simple policy to enforce. You just have to enforce it.

I think the school is weak for allowing parents to bully them into allowing kids to carry the phones into the class room. There is no educational need for the phones. The phones are a potential distraction. Leave them in the locker.