Teacher Requires Students To Lock Up Their Phones And Starts A National Trend To Promote Learning

Oct 16, 2019 by apost team

Years ago, there were far fewer distractions for young people when it came to staying focused on their studies in school. Now, thanks to advances in technology, students often carry cell phones with them practically everywhere they go. It can be a huge temptation for kids who are supposed to be listening to lectures from their teachers, taking notes, or working on their school work to be on their phones instead.

Whether it's texting, scrolling their social media accounts, or stealthily watching video clips, these young people are missing out on all sorts of important learning opportunities. One teacher finally decided he had had enough. Michael Lee, who teaches in Spokane, Washington, came up with an ingenious plan to keep his students off of their cellphones while they're in his class. He actually designated a place for all of the phones to be locked up until class is over. There's a storage space in his room that consists of small cubbies equipped with locks.

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Michael's policy states that as soon as the students enter his classroom, their phones must be parked inside their individually assigned cubbies. Students hold onto the keys to the cubbies during class. When class is finished, they can retrieve their phones. Mr. Lee was even thoughtful enough to make sure the phones can be hooked up to charging ports while they're inside the locker unit. Mr. Lee explained that his aim was to provide kids with a chance to be more engaged in the classroom experience. Surprisingly, students don't seem to mind taking a break from their electronic devices during Michael's class.

He said that none of them have even asked if they can choose not to participate in the lockup. As a teacher, he has noticed that this plan has had a positive impact on students in the classroom. They seem to be more attentive to their work. Parents seem to be on board with the program as well. In fact, there has been such an impressive outcome that other teachers in the school are looking into implementing the same type of policy in their own classrooms.

What are your thoughts on this teacher's creative response to excessive cellphone use in the classroom? Do you agree with his solution? We'd love to read your thoughts in the comments! Pass this story along to your friends who are teachers, parents, or anyone who may benefit from learning about this idea.