KALAMAZOO, Mich. — On Monday, the empty desks at Comstock High School will be filled with students again.
This year, however, teachers hope that stricter restrictions on mobile phone use will make students more likely to participate in class and be less distracted.
Mary Spade, principal of Comstock School, recalled a time before she had high expectations of her students when it came to using cell phones.
“Because of the lack of focus in class and lack of student engagement, teachers were unable to build relationships with children because their minds were on their phones,” Spade said.
Students seemed more interested in their devices than in the class material, so Spade and her assistant principal, Colleen Grueter, implemented new rules last school year.
“We expect there will be no phones in the classroom,” Spade said. “As long as we don’t see or hear it, we’ll be fine.”
However, students can use their devices during lunch breaks and between classes.
Spade told News Channel 3 that the results were available immediately.
“When we changed the policy, relationships got better, student engagement got better, concentration got better, I mean, it happened almost immediately, we saw a huge improvement in the classroom,” Spade said.
The feedback from the students was also positive.
“Several students said, ‘Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize how much I could learn if this didn’t exist!'” Grueter said.
Comstock is not the only county taking action against cell phone bans.
Barron Marinich, a 12th-grader at Paw Paw High School, admits that without the restrictions at his school, he can’t help but look at his phone when it’s in his pocket.
“If I had my phone, I would be on it 24/7, whether I was playing games, texting friends or whatever,” Marinich said.
Marinich’s principal also knows: If you leave your cell phone in the locker, you avoid temptation.
“They get the alarm, the notification, even if they have the device in their pocket and are not using it. The constant buzzing gets their attention,” said Tammy Southworth, Comstock’s director.
The goal is to protect the classroom learning space and thus strengthen students’ academic stamina.
Southworth told News Channel 3 that even a five-minute video is too long to engage some students.
“Kids’ attention spans just aren’t as long as they used to be,” Southworth said.
