Now that a new school year is well underway, there is talk of new rules being enacted. The majority of teachers now require students to keep their phones in backpacks or else they get sent to the assistant principal’s office. By the start of next year, however, there needs to be an official rule, instead of a mere convention. 

Currently, teachers are only recommended to make students keep their phones in their backpacks, while some classes require you to not only put your phone in your bag but bring it to the back of the room. Although the logic here is correct, it isn’t necessary to move your backpack to the back of the room. Having to go back and forth from the back of the room if you need something from your backpack isn’t the ideal situation when you can just keep your phone in a holder. 

Phone holders should be in the back of the classroom next year. The majority of the classes at Staples already have these, so it wouldn’t be costly for the school. This way, students don’t have access to their phones, but still have access to their backpacks during class. 

This year, the classes that require phones to be stowed away in a backpack have a higher participation rate, as well as more in-depth class conversations. Without having to worry about checking your phone every two minutes, students will be more engaged throughout the class. This will help improve the overall learning environment and will make classes more effective.  

Although the basis of this change will affect students, it will also tremendously help teachers. When teachers get distracted by a student on their phone, they have to interrupt teaching and usually confiscate the student’s phone.

This causes disruption and wastes valuable time that could be spent learning. Phones also burden teachers by causing an influx of students asking to meet for extra help when there would be no issue in the first place if the phones were in the back of the room.

A new permanent phone policy was brought up this year but needs to be established come the start of school next year. This will be a great addition to Staples, as it will encourage a healthier use of phones for students to improve their learning.