That is, there it is, plus the pencil's fully let it, education topic, educated educators
talking, education Wednesday night, educators amplified in the house, teacher Allie, joining
trending news, talking about student loan forgiveness, and then, oh yeah, all of this
cell phone, we had a little bit of a conversation too where it's like, okay, teacher Allie, you're
saying, and even I think about this, it's like, I think maybe is a little bit of, or maybe even a lot
of regulations, and I'm talking about the regulations that I typically think of on when we should be
giving access, particularly in school to cell phones, but teacher Allie, you and teacher Joanna
actually addressed this a few years back, explain to us your cell phone policy in the classroom.
Yeah, you know, so we're always advocating for how can we have our public schools promote
regulation and the well-being, like the whole child, as opposed to just their academic self,
and so right, one of the things that we saw is a distraction and prevents children from
being in the present moment and actually being regulated is the cell phone, you know, because the
cell phone is constant notifications, it's constantly going off, it's, you know, friends from this
class, you know, fighting over this thing and it's just constant, right, in the never-ending
scroll, like it is, it is made to be addicted, right, and it is made to dysregulate you
ultimately. And so what we decided was, you know, well, you're just going to turn in your cell phone,
and not even turn it in, more like you're just going to put your cell phone away in this very
structured, predictable way. So we would tell students, you know, like you're choosing to come to
this program that the number one priority is your nervous system regulation, and something that
really dysregulates you is your cell phone, and so you willingly are going to put it in the bag
that has your name on it, and they would put it in a lockbox, and then they would get it back at
the end of the day. And honestly, students reported that like at first they were like, huh, like,
I gotta get, I gotta give this up, like what do you mean? This is my lifeline, like this is my
IV, how will I operate in life? And, you know, very quickly though, they liked it, they liked the
break from it, they could feel a difference. And so to me, it's not, it's not a foreign concept
to think to do this. And then right, like you're hearing more and more I'm hearing from schools,
how big of an issue cell phones are. And so I do think it's going to take a lot of education,
and a lot of carefully crafted ways of communicating this to parents and children. You know,
who will go through this? Like I wouldn't recommend saying we're banning cell phones, or we're
restricting them from your use. I think it has to be more of a marketing of, we're looking for
you to feel well. We know more and more from research that kids are more anxious and depressed
than ever before. We know from the research that cell phones tighten your anxiety, they
heighten your depression. You know, and so these are ways that we want to build connection in our
schools is by having face-to-face connection, not through your cell phone. And I honestly, I don't
know if schools will be able to articulate something like that. I'll offer one more thing too,
I was actually talking to a teacher who it's their second year of teaching. So they're Gen Z,
or maybe a really old millennial, whatever, but they're young, right? And, you know, I was talking
about potentially in the school that he teaches in, they are going to try to limit these cell phones
and came up with this whole cell phone thing and all these, you know, what's going to happen if you
have the cell phone, what's the consequence blah, blah, blah, you know, and the conversations around
that. And then he was like, okay, I'm going to be honest with you. When I was in college,
I was really like, well, I think we should have the cell phones and we just teach kids how to use
them responsibly. And he's like, and then I entered the classroom and I was like, like, this is like
beyond his level of like, like, holy cow. And we got into the conversation about how, right,
developmentally for these kids brain. So I'm talking probably from like 10 years old to 18,
like literally these children's brains can't handle it. So it's not just like a learning
opportunity or like a teaching moment, they are addicting. And it would be as if we were handing out
vapes in the beginning of school to be like, here's a vape and there's a vape and then being like,
why are you all addicted? Like they walk in with their cell phones and it's just as
addicting to their developing brains. So it's not anything wrong with them. But it was interesting
to hear this really young teacher being like, it's insane. Like he's like, I would try to teach
around it. He's like, I teach a media class. And so it just lend it into it and how like,
they can't get away from it. It is literally like, honestly, like crack cocaine. It's
that addicting to the brains. And so yeah, that's why I'm a proponent from this, but done in a way
that helps parents feel empowered, that helps them feel like, yes, I can support this,
that helps students feel like, I'll feel better by doing this. And so I don't know, I don't know
if that's what will happen, but there is my cell box on cell phones and schools.
I love it. I got to tell you, I can forget about it developing 18 year old brain. I know,
57 year old brain, it's really anxious when my phone and I know the same thing though. It's
like you said, it's like, I got to put it away. Yeah. But then there's this weird, as you said,
it's an addiction when I do, when I do put it away, a feeling like something's missing. And then
I'm about to quote, miss out on something. Right. And I remember a few times over the years where
I've either, you know, broke my phone, lost my phone. And I truly had to go a few days without it.
And I started feeling better. Right. I started feeling better without my phone. I know. I know.
Oh, I feel the same way. Like my husband would be dying right now if he heard me. I've been addicted
to my phone this whole summer. And I know it, you know, but it's like, right, it's addicting. And
it's like, I don't have it near me. And then I'll be like, Oh, I better track my notifications.
And so right, imagine being 16. Yeah. And taking that all on. It's a lot.
Yeah, it is for sure. Busted pencils fully let it educator's amplified in the house. Everybody
listen or callers, man. What a night. What a night. Lots of technicalities there. Got to love it,
though. We're always in there tomorrow night. And Wisconsin Public Education Network in the house.
Special guest teacher Allie. Thanks for busting pencils. Good night, everybody.