Phones in school have always been a hit or miss with parents and teachers but after Senate Bill 185 was passed it changed alot about how students feel at school and how teachers handle the phone usage. Compared to other schools AHS is very lenient with the law, though some don’t think so. Comparing the students and teachers perspectives on this can really show how it not only affects the environment or even the safety of staff and students at school.
Most teachers see the phone policy as a good thing and actually helps students. Heather Myers, an ASL teacher who agrees with the policy. “ As a teacher I’m all for it,” Myers said. “It has a definite positive effect because in American Sign Language, I need your eyes not just your ears.”
This reasoning is understandable especially for what Myers teaches. In order for a student to learn it’s better for them to give their full attention even in classes other than ASL. Miss Hunt, a geometry and algebra teacher has a little bit of a different perspective. “It’s complicated in general, i think the phones definitely have an impact on learning, I also think students should be old enough to make decisions on how to use their phones,” Hunt said. Both perspectives show that yes teachers are for the phone policy but some feel as though students should be able to take responsibility for their own actions and academics.
Most students on the other hand feel like the phone policy is unnecessary. Jaylin Morgan, a senior, agrees with this. “I think it’s dumb, I feel like it’s better to be on the phone than to disrupt class,” Morgan said. Though he may think the phone policy is dumb when asked if he thinks the phone policy has a positive or negative effect he sees a little bit of the other side’s perspective.” I think it can be both, if people aren’t on their phones they can follow along more, but at the same time it could disrupt class,” says Morgan. It’s understandable where he’s coming from with not wanting to disrupt class but class is a place where you learn instead of wanting to disrupt.
Though students’ education is the main concern with the phone policy, many students are concerned for their safety as well.
Jaliyah Hampton, a junior, has this very concern. “Most definitely, if there is something going on at home and parents need to reach their student, staff always says they can email or call the school but it has to go through multiple people to get to the student, when if we have our phones students can be reached directly,” said Hampton.
On the other hand, the teacher feels as though it’s still unnecessary to have them in school. “ No I do not because I grew up in the dark ages without cell phones and we were just as safe, and we relied on our faculty and teachers to keep us safe.” Students should be able to feel safe at school no matter what but many students feel safer having their phones with them just in case something were to ever happen. “If someone were to be a threat and entered the building and you couldn’t text their parents or access their phones it could be pretty bad,” Morgan said .
The phone policy is something that cannot be changed or walked around due to it being a law now. With how things are without safety it’s understandable that students would have fear and want to keep their phones, but in the same light they have to know that they are in good hands here with our staff and faculty.