A series of thunks follows the tardy bell as students place their backpacks against the wall of the classroom. The students are complying with their teacher’s rule of keeping backpacks at the front of the room, which came from Texas House Bill 1481 (HB 1481).
HB 1481 was put into effect on September 1, banning the use of personal devices such as phones, smartwatches, and personal laptops in schools. According to American Sign Language teacher Jessica Bartell, several of her students were reluctant to put their phones away, resulting in her and other teachers, such as math teacher David Flores, coming up with new ways to limit the distractions caused by phones.
“I didn’t want to fight that battle, so I adjusted my expectations and my rules for my own classes,” Bartell said. “Instead of allowing them to keep their backpacks with them, I am separating the temptation from the people.”
According to HB 1481, school districts in Texas were given the responsibility of deciding how they would make their schools a phone-free environment. Given the choice, AISD chose to implement an ‘away all day’ policy, allowing students to store their phones in their backpacks, and instructing teachers to confiscate any phones they see.
“It’s not my job to play phone hall monitor,” Bartell said. “I got tired of kids trying to hide it, because whether they know it or not, they’re not very good at hiding things.”
Bartell said that when students come in, they can get out the supplies she’s listed on the whiteboard, and then place their bags, containing their phones, at the front of the room. According to a study from the University of Arkansas, when students were asked to give their input on methods schools use to create phone-free environments, a large number wanted a less intrusive way to remove phones.
“I was surprised,” sophomore Jessica Moore said. “I wasn’t really expecting a rule like that, and I feel like it’s kind of invasive, because while I understand that it’s because of the no phones rule, I don’t feel like my teacher should be able to keep all of my stuff from me.”
A study done by Paragon Health Institute (PHI) links phone bans to a decrease of in-class disruptions. The data also included input from teachers, who all noted that their classes were easier to manage, had fewer side conversations, and improved attention from students.
“I don’t have to fight that battle every day,” Bartell said. “We have a more cohesive atmosphere, and it’s just a more enjoyable place to be because people aren’t distracted. We have more time to connect and learn and grow together.”
PHI’s study on phone bans also noted an increase in student engagement as well as stronger peer interaction due to reduced phone-related distractions. Similar changes were noted by Bartell among the students in her classes.
“It made it way easier for me to make the classroom more of a safe space, a better space for kids to communicate,” Bartell said. “My students actually get to know each other better when we put technology away, and I think it enhances the atmosphere in my classroom.”
According to students, Bartell made her rule a non-negotiable for her classes, making sure everyone followed it every day. Her students feel that her enforcement of this policy turned it into a class routine that they are all used to.
“I think it’s much better now than it was at first,” sophomore Alexis McManus said. “My class talks more, and I know everyone in my class, unlike my other classes, where I don’t even talk to most of the other people.”
