I retired at 62 from teaching last year, and I saw all of this happening. I am so so glad I got out, but I am frustrated for your sake. I left frankly disappointed in many colleagues who gave in on phones and AI.
😂 I feel your pain as a retired 41-year teaching veteran. Journalism, photo, and English. Love the footnotes. You basically have to teach your subject like PE, no offense to PE teachers.😂
My kid just finished her first year of middle school and I am already exhausted with phone policy. We gave her a phone to increase her after-school independence, so she could go to a friend’s or the library without having to walk home to tell us. I expected her phone to remain in her locker all day, off. But that’s not allowed. They have a calculator-pocket system at the front of every class, which bugs me because I don’t really want her using it inbetween or at lunch…but those are the rules, and she’s still little enough to listen to us ask her not to use it at those times, mostly.
But as the year went on, and especially for the last week or so of lots of low stakes activities, way more teachers than I’d like let them use their phones during class. During the movie days that give the teachers their extra prep time for end-or-year stuff. During the ten minutes at the end of class because the sub disregarded the lesson plans. During a tech-based lesson after the one-to-one laptops were collected.
I regret getting it for her as much as I appreciate the ability for her to do what I did afterschool - hang out with a friend or go get ice cream or visit the library - without the anxiety that is now inherent in not knowing exactly where your kid is. And we are older parents and expect our child to have far more independence than most of the other parents do, believing it is easier to learn to be responsible for yourself when you are small than when you are big.
I really love getting the “I’m going to the coffee shop with my friend” text that means she’s been using her allowance for connecting with a friend in real life. And since there are no longer any pay phones, I appreciate she has a way to call if she is in a jam. But I’m so frustrated with the school not actually bothering with their own policy that I’m trying to decide if “come home and talk to us/pick up your phone before going out again” or a general curfew or setting the phone to literally not work during school is the best option.
I’m enjoying your Substack and appreciate the information and the occasional mild rants. Keep it up.
Thanks so much. You’ve got really good points, and a really good approach to phone use and the technology, but I think you may represent about 5% of parents. YOu’ve given me a lot to think about and I want to talk about it more coming up.
OMG. This. I work in a medium sized urban high school. The level of violence post COVID was unreal for the first few years. Finally a year and a half ago, a plan was made to start collecting cell phones. I help deliver them at the end of the school day. I would say the class cell phone bins are maybe half full. At first, the ones sneaking them in kept it on the DL. Now you see kids on the phones in the hallway, in class, making tiktoks on the stairs. Kids always know when it's just policy theater. (Plus apparently our security was told by their district supervisor that collecting phones is not part of their job description, so if kids come in late after teachers have finished checking bags it is truly just honor system. 🤦
“Policy theater,” yet another of the services we provide, just like security theater of occasional (sorry, “random”) days with metal detectors and teachers peeking in bags and generally feeling awkward and not trained as a TSA agent.
I retired at 62 from teaching last year, and I saw all of this happening. I am so so glad I got out, but I am frustrated for your sake. I left frankly disappointed in many colleagues who gave in on phones and AI.
Such a smart, honest, and irreverent take on this issue - and so fun (and depressing) to read!
Thanks so much, and thanks for reading!
😂 I feel your pain as a retired 41-year teaching veteran. Journalism, photo, and English. Love the footnotes. You basically have to teach your subject like PE, no offense to PE teachers.😂
Ha! Covered a PE class once this past year, and know exactly what you mean.
My kid just finished her first year of middle school and I am already exhausted with phone policy. We gave her a phone to increase her after-school independence, so she could go to a friend’s or the library without having to walk home to tell us. I expected her phone to remain in her locker all day, off. But that’s not allowed. They have a calculator-pocket system at the front of every class, which bugs me because I don’t really want her using it inbetween or at lunch…but those are the rules, and she’s still little enough to listen to us ask her not to use it at those times, mostly.
But as the year went on, and especially for the last week or so of lots of low stakes activities, way more teachers than I’d like let them use their phones during class. During the movie days that give the teachers their extra prep time for end-or-year stuff. During the ten minutes at the end of class because the sub disregarded the lesson plans. During a tech-based lesson after the one-to-one laptops were collected.
I regret getting it for her as much as I appreciate the ability for her to do what I did afterschool - hang out with a friend or go get ice cream or visit the library - without the anxiety that is now inherent in not knowing exactly where your kid is. And we are older parents and expect our child to have far more independence than most of the other parents do, believing it is easier to learn to be responsible for yourself when you are small than when you are big.
I really love getting the “I’m going to the coffee shop with my friend” text that means she’s been using her allowance for connecting with a friend in real life. And since there are no longer any pay phones, I appreciate she has a way to call if she is in a jam. But I’m so frustrated with the school not actually bothering with their own policy that I’m trying to decide if “come home and talk to us/pick up your phone before going out again” or a general curfew or setting the phone to literally not work during school is the best option.
I’m enjoying your Substack and appreciate the information and the occasional mild rants. Keep it up.
Thanks so much. You’ve got really good points, and a really good approach to phone use and the technology, but I think you may represent about 5% of parents. YOu’ve given me a lot to think about and I want to talk about it more coming up.
OMG. This. I work in a medium sized urban high school. The level of violence post COVID was unreal for the first few years. Finally a year and a half ago, a plan was made to start collecting cell phones. I help deliver them at the end of the school day. I would say the class cell phone bins are maybe half full. At first, the ones sneaking them in kept it on the DL. Now you see kids on the phones in the hallway, in class, making tiktoks on the stairs. Kids always know when it's just policy theater. (Plus apparently our security was told by their district supervisor that collecting phones is not part of their job description, so if kids come in late after teachers have finished checking bags it is truly just honor system. 🤦
“Policy theater,” yet another of the services we provide, just like security theater of occasional (sorry, “random”) days with metal detectors and teachers peeking in bags and generally feeling awkward and not trained as a TSA agent.
I like your style. I will be reading more.
Thanks!