CELL PHONE & ELECTRONICS POLICY

The use of cell phones and ALL electronic devices is strictly forbidden in class without express permission from the teacher (myself). This includes CELL PHONES, ear-buds, air-pods, LAPTOPS and TABLETS.

CELL PHONES SHOULD NOT BE VISIBLE. I have a caddy and charging station at the front of the room. Phones should be put in the caddy upon entering the room and remain there until leaving the room.

If a cell phone is visible at a student's desk, it will be addressed. If it is addressed a second time it will be confiscated. If it is addressed multiple times, an e-mail will be sent to the student's parent or guardian informing them of the situation. Continued violation of the policy will result in a code of conduct referral to administration.

Math is an essential discipline in education. Success in math courses requires attention to the information delivered in class. Cell phones distract students by dividing their attention and by drawing the attention of other students. This is the basis for why cell phones may not be used or visible in class.

The two main two reasons a student would need to refer to a cell phone in a math class are to access a calculator or to tell time. I have calculators for when calculators are necessary, or they may use their own stand-alone calculator. I also have clocks on the walls. There is no need to refer to a cell phone to tell the time in my room. A third reason could be to take pictures of notes on the board, this may be allowed if requested, but then the phones need to be returned to their previous put-away location.