Stop telling Teachers to Confiscate Kids' Cell Phones/Electronics. It is a dangerous and ineffective practice

[Seymour Flops]

I don't know why this thread was brought back to life, but I'm glad it was.

Since posting the OP, I have learned that cell phone use, both the content and the act of checking, release dopamine. Frequent checking causes a subconscious desire for that dopamine which leads to quasi-addiction.

Teacher's are not strongarm addiction clinic orderlies. I see a kid with a phone in their hand, I mime putting something in my pocket. If they don't comply, I move on. Getting into a battle of wills with an addict is frustrating at best and dangerous at worst.

Let principles confiscate all phones at the beginning of the day, or make a rule that bringing one on campus = suspended for the day.

I'm not a "rebel" as a teacher. I treat my principles like I used to treat my commanders when I was a young officer. It's their unit, and they need my loyalty to run it well. But, not on this point, the science is too firmly against them.

 

[Unkotare]

I'm glad our new principal has been cracking down on cell phone use. There is still work to be done, but it's getting better. Nonetheless, too much time still needs to be wasted policing policy.

Never surrender.

 

[Woodznutz]

I don't know why this thread was brought back to life, but I'm glad it was.

Since posting the OP, I have learned that cell phone use, both the content and the act of checking, release dopamine. Frequent checking causes a subconscious desire for that dopamine which leads to quasi-addiction.

Teacher's are not strongarm addiction clinic orderlies. I see a kid with a phone in their hand, I mime putting something in my pocket. If they don't comply, I move on. Getting into a battle of wills with an addict is frustrating at best and dangerous at worst.

Let principles confiscate all phones at the beginning of the day, or make a rule that bringing one on campus = suspended for the day.

I'm not a "rebel" as a teacher. I treat my principles like I used to treat my commanders when I was a young officer. It's their unit, and they need my loyalty to run it well. But, not on this point, the science is too firmly against them.

It shows a huge portion of young Americans Have a problem.

The Instagram/TikTok generation has massive problems. Not just perhaps being unwilling to listen to teachers.

But also dating and social life . And this also goes for Americans under the age of 30. We’ve all seen the statistics …. Young men and young boys in massive numbers are not interested in dating women and that is going to have a profoundly negative affect on American society and that something is done about it.

We had school dances for a reason…. things like the prom or the fall dance or a CYO dance.. They are there for a reason.

the last thing we need is to have mentors, teachers and adults telling children or young men and women that is completely fine to be staring at your phone all day, and to effectively say it’s fine to treat your phone like a significant other.

Time for major action to be taken in this country. More young people need to be outside. Breathing air, meeting real people, getting off the computer, getting off the cell phone. Time for more kids to Get involved in sports and outdoor activities.

I wouldn't discount the damage that online pornography has done to the youngsters. It's the forbidden fruit and they are being allowed to feast on it.

 

[JohnDB]

 

[Seymour Flops]

I'm glad our new principal has been cracking down on cell phone use. There is still work to be done, but it's getting better. Nonetheless, too much time still needs to be wasted policing policy.

Never surrender.

Yes, the principals are the ones who should be handling it, with walk along from the school resource officer if there is any concern for their safety. The teacher should simply email a designated AP with the name of the student and the class, and the principal can come and remove that student.

That's what would happen if a kid was walking around and talking over the teacher, why treat cell phone use as any less disruptive?

 

[Unkotare]

Yes, the principals are the ones who should be handling it, with walk along from the school resource officer if there is any concern for their safety. The teacher should simply email a designated AP with the name of the student and the class, and the principal can come and remove that student.

That's what would happen if a kid was walking around and talking over the teacher, why treat cell phone use as any less disruptive?

That's pretty much what happens now.

 

[Seymour Flops]

That's pretty much what happens now.

If that's what happens at your school, I applaud the admins there. I haven't seen that, at my school.

My wife's new principal is promising to do exactly that. He said that he is not going to stress about standardized test scores, he'll leave that to teachers and department chairs, experts in their subjects. He's going to crack down on discipline to create the enviroment where teachers can use their talents to teach the kids.

We'll see if he is as good as his word. I sure hope so.

 

[Unkotare]

If that's what happens at your school, I applaud the admins there. I haven't seen that, at my school.

My wife's new principal is promising to do exactly that. He said that he is not going to stress about standardized test scores, he'll leave that to teachers and department chairs, experts in their subjects. He's going to crack down on discipline to create the enviroment where teachers can use their talents to teach the kids.

We'll see if he is as good as his word. I sure hope so.

A lot of kids complain about discipline, but the truth is they crave order.

 

[Resnic]

Obviously, a student will learn more if they are not on their phone. Phones will hinder a child's education much more so than being out of dress code for example. But it has led to violence, and someday may lead to a shooting.

Houston student punches teacher in the head to get cell phone back

A Houston high school student, 15, was seen aggressively punching a teacher in the head while demanding to get his cell phone back in a horrifying video that has gone viral.

www.dailymail.co.uk

'She Deserved Every Part of That Lesson': Student Takes Swing at Substitute Teacher After Her Phone Is Confiscated, Leading to Fight, Police Investigation

Police in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and Nash County Public Schools are investigating a fight over a cellphone between a substitute teacher and a

atlantablackstar.com

15-Year-Old Girl Sentenced to Year in Detention Facility for Brutal Attack on High School Teacher

The beating of Tiwana Turner was caught on video, and the teacher is still recovering from injuries that left her in the hospital for six days

people.com

I would get mad if someone took my cell phone from me and I'm a 61 year old man who never had a cell phone until I was nearly fifty. Imagine the reaction of a 14 year old who has been addicted emotionally to having their phone since age 9.

In my school, the principal has strongly emphasized that student keep cell phones turned off and in their backpacks after the first bell rings, even if they are still eating breakfast. Teachers are to take away any phone they spot in student's hand, pocket or anywhere besides backpack (we don't use lockers). At our meetings prior to the school year started, when this came up, some teachers said, "it needs to be all of us doing it," because they don't want to be perceived as the mean ones.

Confiscated cell phones are held in the office for parents to pick up, which for some kids is no problem, but for some kids it can be a huge problem. So the consequences are not equal for all students.

A much better strategy is to tell the child to put the phone in their backpack, which brings them into compliance. It is rare for a student to not comply with that request. But telling the student to hand over the phone meets resistance the majority of the time.

If a student refuses to put the phone in the backpack, write a discipline slip and send him or her to the office. If the student refuses to go, send the slip with another student and a note that the student refused to leave. Then the admins can decide what to do from there, including getting assistance from the school resource officer.

And that is how we get into the messes we have now. Because people like you don't want to correct poor behavior, poor manners, and poor decisions. People like you say "well we need to fix this problem but it might upset a few people so we shouldn't do it". All that does is increase the problems.

And so some kids might become violent or shoot someone? Then they shouldn't be in schools to begin with. You want a lot of children to suffer because you tolerate a few bad ones.

How does this kind of behavior get rid of the problems your speaking of? You know what happens when you train kids that potential violence in a response to corrective action will keep you from being corrected? They will keep doing it, other kids will see that and do it, and they will grow up to teach their kids to do it.

Bad behavior creates bad behavior, and tolerance of bad behavior creates bad behavior.