No Phone Sets a Tone

This school year, Greenway High School introduced a new phone ban meant to help students stay focused during class. Since the change, students and teachers have had mixed reactions. While some say it helps reduce distractions, others feel it creates new problems.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some students feel the phone ban has helped them focus more in class. Junior Addie said that without phones, it’s easier to pay attention. “It has increased my ability to focus because I’m not distracted by texts and social media,” she said. However, she also mentioned that it’s inconvenient not being able to check a text, especially when she’s finished with her work. Overall, Addie thinks the ban is fair and mostly effective, even though students will always try to get around the rules.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other students feel more conflicted. Junior Amelia Henning explained that the ban takes away students’ ability to manage their own focus. “It’s affected me by not giving me a choice whether I want to focus or not,” she said. While she agrees that phones can be distracting, Amelia pointed out that some students use their phones for schoolwork, especially in classes like art where reference photos are needed. She also said the ban has caused some students to be more sneaky, hiding their phones or using fake ones instead of actually paying attention.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Junior Krisbel said the ban hasn’t really changed her focus in class but has made school more frustrating. “It’s just annoying not being able to use it after work or check any notifications,” she said. She believes the ban has had a mixed impact on learning because some students didn’t use their phones much in the first place. Krisbel also feels the rule isn’t always fair, especially to students who already followed classroom rules before the ban.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teachers have also noticed changes in their classrooms. Mr. Losenicky shared that phones weren’t a huge problem for him before, but now enforcing the ban takes up class time. “I have to focus on putting their phones up at the beginning of class,” he said. He also noticed that students sometimes replace phone distractions with Chromebooks. Mr. Losenicky believes enforcement likely varies between classrooms and doesn’t think the ban is a perfect solution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the other hand, Mr. Irwin feels strongly that the phone ban has been helpful. He said he’s seen less distraction overall and believes removing phones makes it easier for students to stay engaged. “Taking the cellphone away from the class period allows for better engagement,” he said. While he admitted enforcement isn’t always equal, he thinks limiting phone use during class is a step in the right direction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ms. Rearick said the phone ban has helped her focus during the school day because she doesn’t have to worry as much about students being distracted by their electronics. “It allows me to focus on teaching the content rather than redirecting students,” she said. She also believes the ban has had a positive impact on learning because it forces students to put away distractions and prioritize their education. Ms. Rearick said enforcement is meant to be the same across the school, but some teachers adjust how they manage phones in their classrooms. She believes the school-wide consequences are fair and has not faced any challenges because of the ban. “Having one consistent policy has helped maintain routine and makes classes run more smoothly,” she said. Overall, Ms. Rearick feels the phone ban is working because students are more engaged and successful in their classes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Overall, the phone ban at Greenway High School has created mixed opinions. Some students and teachers believe it helps with focus and learning, while others think it limits independence and creates new issues. As the school year continues, it’s clear that the phone ban is still something many people at Greenway are adjusting to.