GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Grand Haven High School has implemented a new cell phone practice requiring students to ditch their phones at the door when entering class.
"It was easy to convey what the teacher wanted to have done. The students were attentive," said Grand Haven Public Schools substitute teacher Catherine Couch.
Couch has been teaching for more than 25 years and explained that cell phone use in schools has been a learning distraction for years.
“There’s so much intrusion in the classroom, and this universe of information that’s coming to a student, and they really can’t resist if there’s a notification or something like that," said Couch.
After recently substituting at Grand Haven High School, Couch described the no-cell-phone-in-class policy as a positive practice that helps take the burden off of teachers, making the learning environment free of distractions.
The policy is enforced daily as students enter their classrooms, and Couch described what she observed while substitute teaching.
“They came in, they put their phones in a designated area that was easy to reach, and if they didn’t have a phone, they put a pink slip in there," explained Couch.
Grand Haven High School Principal Tracy Wilson also emphasized the role this practice plays in helping to ensure students have a healthy learning environment where they are able to thrive.
"We know with research all the ways students struggle to stay focused, and cell phones are a huge disruption to learning. So, we are trying to create safe and healthy learning environments," reassured Wilson.
While the policy has indeed garnered support, the question remains: How do you tow the line between limiting distractions and cell phone accessibility in the case of an emergency?
"Most of the parents that are pushing back, it has to do with safety. They’re worried about their kid. They want their child to be able to reassure them that they are okay if there is an incident," explained Couch.
Although cell phone accessibility in the case of an emergency is a concern for some, Wilson confirmed Grand Haven High School has a plan in place to ease parents' concerns.
“So I always say to parents, if you have any need during the school day to reach out to your child, every student has a Chromebook and an email, so you can certainly email your child," said Wilson.
"I think that is going to be the challenge of the school, being able to address that so parents have a reasonable balance of how to deal with that," stressed Couch.
School officials tell us that Grand Haven High School is the only school in the district using this new practice.
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