Cell phone policies are one of the most debated topics for secondary teachers, and for good reason! They’re tough to get right. In this episode, I’m sharing my honest experiences with different approaches, what’s worked (and what’s totally failed), and the key factors to consider before setting your own rules. We’ll talk about how your personality, classroom values, and admin support all play a role, plus why engaging, purposeful learning is the best deterrent to constant phone use. You’ll also get practical tips for setting expectations, building student buy-in, and using phone moments to teach digital responsibility...so that managing phones feels more doable and a lot less stressful.

➡️ Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode205

Resources:

• Secondary Science Simplified episodes by topic
• Culture PD Mini-Course
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.
• Take the Free Labs When Limited virtual PD course
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected]
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.
• Follow, rate, and comment on Spotify.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 69, Admin Support - Why You Need to Ask, How to Ask, and What to Ask For
• Episode 89, Classroom Management in a Post-COVID World with Guest Casey O’Hearn
• Episode 92, 5 Ways to Have Precise Pacing and Tight Transitions in Your Secondary Science Classroom
• Episode 96, Why I Stopped Assigning Homework (And 6 Surprising Results)

4 FREE Halloween-themed resources specifically for high school science - 1 for biology, 1 for chemistry, 1 for anatomy, and 1 for physics. Be sure to grab them at https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/halloween/