(TNS) — For Matthew Kaye, the 2023-24 school year was always going to be a watershed moment, both before cellphones were nearly ubiquitous and after he and other ninth-grade teachers at Science Leadership Academy demanded that they be kept out of kids' reach during class.
Kaye has taught at SLA, a Philadelphia magnet school that has been nationally recognized as a pioneer of technology in schools since it opened in 2006. But the changes he's witnessed since the school changed its cellphone policy on May 1 have been enough to convince him that cellphones are not a technology kids need.
“I don't think I've ever changed my mind so much. I've always thought, 'We should keep our kids off the phone and teach them how to use it,'” Kay said. “But if we give our kids back their phones, we'll be bad adults.”
The role of cell phones in schools has become a hot topic both nationally and locally. The School District of Philadelphia has said a “cell phone-free environment during school hours” is key to improving academic performance, according to district documents, but has given individual schools latitude in how they implement it.
I don't think we've ever made such a strong turnaround. I've always said, “Keep your cell phones away from your kids, teach them how to use them,” but if we give the phones back to our kids, we're going to be bad adults.
Matthew Kay, 9th grade teacher, Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia
Classes without connective tissue
Kaye said cellphone use during class has become an increasing source of frustration. SLA is a project-based school, and he and his colleagues have seen students use their time inefficiently as cellphone use increases, especially since the pandemic.
“I said, 'I gave you a week and a half and you've only written one paragraph. What's going on?'” Kaye said.
Previously, students used to socialize during their free time, but with the introduction of mobile phones, they found that in their free time they were scrolling through social media and not talking to each other.
“There didn't seem to be much connection in the class,” said Kaye, who has written several books about discussing race with students. “They didn't know each other that well.”
Technically, there were rules about cell phone use — they weren't allowed in class — and when Kay found one, she took it away, but that strategy became less and less effective.
“It attracted so much attention from the students that I went from having one or two phones a week to having four, five, six per class. If I didn't, I basically had to quit,” Kay said.
Eventually, Kaye and her colleagues started talking about confiscating cellphones for real—making students put their phones in numbered pouches hanging near the door as they enter their classrooms. If the whole ninth-grade team did it together, “none of us would be that teacher,” Kaye said.
They chose to begin the policy on May 1 and notified students.
“When we have our phones on, we're not actually paying attention.”
When Kay told her students about the upcoming ban, she told them they would be keeping their phones in a pouch at the front of the classroom. If they needed their phones during class, they could go to the pouch and use them there. (All students at the school have Chromebooks provided by the district.)
“I told them, 'Someone has to be the adult,' and that resonated with them in a way I didn't expect. I said, 'I see that many of you have problems in between jobs, and I see that many of you don't know each other as much as I would like you to know each other,'” Kaye said. “I'm 40. You're 14. If you were hitting yourself with a stick every day, I'd take the stick out of your hands.”
Kaye expected backlash from parents, especially students, but he said he received thank-you emails from parents and that students “weren't as harsh” as he expected. On the first day, some students brought second cell phones, but Kaye teased them about the disposable ones, and the loophole disappeared within a day.
Kay says the quality of her children's artwork has improved, and they've started pulling out cards and talking to each other at recess.
“Everything is better. My classroom feels the same as it did 10 years ago in terms of relationships. It's honestly quite moving,” Kay said.
Hannah Brand, a ninth-grader at SLA, was initially not happy with the policy.
“I really hated having my phone taken away,” said Bland, 14. But once she got used to the policy, it made sense. And then a funny thing happened: She liked it.
“I'm able to concentrate better in class. I'm able to concentrate better at work. I think I'm more passionate about my work.”
Erin Grant, another SLA freshman, had a similar experience.
“When I have my cell phone, I can't really pay attention to what the teacher is saying,” said Grant, 15. “I'm closer to a lot of my classmates now.”
“It's easier to just swipe your thumb a few times.”
In his book The Anxious Generation, author Jonathan Haidt argues that a “phone-based childhood” has replaced a “play-based childhood,” leading to a rise in mental health and other problems among young people. This echoes what Kay was seeing in her classes.
“When something gets difficult, a few swipes of your thumb make it harder to untie the knot you're trying to untie, and that's what causes kids to get so wrapped up in their work,” Kaye said.
Height has called for students to keep cell phones out of schools, and Kaye agrees that keeping cell phones out of the classroom makes sense.
“I try really hard to be funny, and it pisses me off when people say we can beat the phone by being more funny,” Kaye said. “Objectively, that's not true. No one can compete with TikTok. The classroom needs to be a place where students don't have to go near those algorithms.”
Kaye said SLA's ninth-grade teachers will continue the policy into next school year and beyond, and SLA Principal Chris Lehman supports the move.
“Fundamentally, the most important thing we can do when it comes to cell phones is to teach kids about the attention economy and help them understand that their attention is being monetized,” Lehman said. “In all things, we have to start asking better questions about how we use these devices, and I think that's what we're trying to do. This isn't just an unexplored or unaccounted for band. This is about how do we help kids be more conscious about their attention?”
Last year, SLA implemented a “cell phone reboot,” where students took stock of their cell phone usage during advising time and spent time thinking about and discussing how their devices were affecting them.
Rehman said the ban could be expanded to ninth-grade classes.
“We have a school-wide initiative to keep cell phones out of class,” Lehman said.
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