Many teenagers, at no fault of their own, are addicted to their smartphones. But teachers across the Santa Barbara Unified School District are done competing with screens for their students’ attention.
On Monday, high school students began this school year by checking their phones into “cell hotels.” Whether these hotels are charging stations, clear boxes, or a pocket chart, they take the handheld distractions out of reach of students in the classroom.
Although enforcing these policies is easier said than done, phones across the district are going “Off and Away,” a rule the Santa Barbara Teachers Association (SBTA) came up with a few years ago. It was born from discussions with the district about the impact of cell phone use on instruction, student engagement, and classroom management.