“Phones in the caddy, phones in the caddy, put your phones in the caddy,” is what every student hears when they enter a classroom this year. The administration began the year by putting caddies in every classroom to increase focus and engagement during class, but do these wooden boxes accomplish that?
Cell phone notifications pose a big challenge in classroom environments. Regardless of what you use your phone for, everyone gets notifications. Even if the student does not end up checking their messages, they still think about what it could have been, taking away from focus in class discussions and such. This poses a problem for all students in the classroom. Having a place for students to put their cell phones gives them the opportunity to tune into class, inevitably leading to better grades and more engaged, and consequently more enjoyable, classes.
But one glaring problem with the new policy is that, frankly, students hate it.
They have many reasons for this reaction. For example, if a student’s guardian needs to contact the student, having cell phones in a caddy makes it awfully inconvenient. The parent now needs to contact the administration, who must contact the teacher whose class the student is in, who must then give the relevant information to the student. This wastes the administration’s valuable time, and a lot of this waste would be cut out if students simply had their phones. Not to mention, administrators contacting the teacher could be an even bigger distraction not just for one student, but for the entire class.
“Last year, I always wanted to check my phone, which led to me missing key information in class. It feels different now, and I like it.”
James Friel ’26
“I simply just feel more focused in class,” Fourth Former James Friel said. “Last year, I always wanted to check my phone, which led to me missing key information in class. It feels different now, and I like it.”
Of course, there are other views.
“It doesn’t help,” Fifth Former Kevin Covington said. “I wasn’t glancing at my phone to start, and it just feels like power is being taken away from me.” According to a September Index poll, 86% of respondents disagreed with the policy. However, because of how successful the practice is, it is unlikely we see life going back to how it was.
