Classroom Management
Most teachers address phone discipline on a daily basis. And it doesn’t just impact those who teach teenagers. It isn’t uncommon for elementary kids to have their own phones – even kindergarteners! Teacher Josh Monroe has made two videos demonstrating how he deals with phone use in his class.
Teacher demonstrates phone discipline
In Mr. Monroe’s original video, he privately and discretely approaches a student while the rest of the class is working. He calmly tells the student this isn’t the time for phones to be out and to put it away. He says, “Quite frankly, I don’t care who you were texting you need to put it away. You can put it in your backpack or my desk.”
Many commenters argued this phone discipline tactic was too harsh. They said the student may have been having an emergency and wasn’t given the chance to explain.
So Mr. Monroe released a second video this week. In this scenario, it’s clear the student isn’t having an emergency and has lied about emergencies in the past. Mr. Monroe tells the student he’ll be calling home to make sure everything is okay. The student then admits to checking TikTok. Since this has been a chronic problem, Mr. Monroe offers the student the option of putting the phone in his desk at the start of every class or a meeting with their “grown-ups” to discuss the issue.
Many TikTok teachers refer to Mr. Monroe as a modern-day Mr. Rogers due to his calmness and soft voice. How do you think he handled phone discipline? What works in your class? Let us know in the Bored Teachers community.
