Mental health experts on for phone-free classrooms
CLARICE TINSLEY. WHEN THOUSANDS OF TEXAS STUDENTS HEAD BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. FOR MANY, IT MAY BE THE FIRST TIME THEY WILL BE SEPARATED FROM THEIR CELL PHONES FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DAY. WHILE THE LAW LEAVES THE IMPLEMENTATION UP TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, DALLAS ISD ANNOUNCED ITS MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS WILL USE LOCKING POUCHES. FOX FOUR’S LAURIE BROWN LIVE WITH THE STORY. HI, LAURIE. HI, CLARICE. A MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT TELLS US THAT THE TEXAS SCHOOL CELL PHOND EVEN THEIR PARENTS, TO EXPERIENCE SOME ANXIETY FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS THIS FALL, TEXAS STUDENTS WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO SEND TEXT MESSAGES OR CHECK SOCIAL MEDIA IN BETWEEN CLASSES OR AT LUNCH. THERE MAY BE SOME ALMOST LIKE WITHDRAWAL TYPE SYMPTOMS. THEY MAY BE EXPERIENCING SOME ANXIETY, SOME DEPRESSION, SOME IRRITABILITY, FRUSTRATION. THERE MAY BE LIKE A FEELING OF BEING DISCONNECTED OR CONFUSED. DOCTOR JOSH BRYARLY, A TRAUMA PSYCHOLOGIST AT PARKLAND HEALTH, SAYS PARENTS CAN HELP STUDENTS ADJUST. DON’T MINIMIZE WHAT THE STUDENT IS GOING THROUGH. ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A DIFFICULT THING, BUT YOU CAN GET THROUGH IT. TAKING DIRECTION FROM ITS PRINCIPALS, DALLAS ISD DECIDED TO USE LOCKING POUCHES AT ITS MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL TURN PHONES OVER TO TEACHERS TO LOCK AWAY. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT BRYAN LUSK SAYS IT TOOK STUDENTS ABOUT A MONTH TO ADJUST AT SCHOOLS THAT DID A PILOT PROGRAM. SO OUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, SHE TALKED ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE, AND SHE SAID THE FIRST MONTH WAS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU WERE CHANGING ALL BEHAVIORS OF STUDENTS AND STAFF. RIGHT? AND WE’RE HAVING TO CHANGE MINDSETS, SHE SAID. BUT AFTER THE FIRST MONTH, IT WAS WORTH IT EVERY MINUTE, AND THE ABILITY FOR TEACHERS TO EFFECTIVELY KEEP STUDENTS FOCUSED ON INSTRUCTION HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE. DOES IT HELP TO HAVE THE LAW BACKING THE DISTRICT UP? I THINK THE LAW DROVE THIS. TO BE CANDID. THE LAW DID DRIVE THIS, AND THEREFORE WE WERE MAKING SURE THAT WE COMPLY FULLY WITH THE LAW. AND I THINK IT HAS BENEFITS, BENEFITS. DOCTOR BRAILEY SAYS STUDIES HAVE CONFIRMED EVENTUALLY THERE ARE DECREASED FEELINGS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND EVEN A BOOST IN TEST SCORES. THOSE BENEFITS CAN INCREASE IF PARENTS ALSO SET UP FAMILY PERIMETERS. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR FAMILIES TO EXAMINE THEIR OWN CELL PHONE USE. WHAT ARE THE BOUNDARIES, IF ANY, DO WE HAVE IN OUR HOUSEHOLD? BRYARLY RECOMMENDS HAVING A PORTION OF THE DAY THAT IS CELL PHONE FREE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, IDEALLY DINNER TIME, BUT THERE ARE ALSO OTHER OPTIONS. MAYBE INSTEAD OF BEING AT THE DINNER TABLE, MAYBE IT’S HEY, WHILE WE’RE ALL IN THE CAR, NOBODY’S USING THEIR PHONE AND WE’RE GOING TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. WE’RE GOING TO SING SONGS TOGETHER. WE’RE GOING TO WE’RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING WHERE WE INTERACT AS A FAMILY. HE ALSO RECOMMENDS A CELL PHONE CURFEW 8:00 9:00, AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE BEDTIME, AND PARENTS HAVE TO ABIDE BY THAT AS WELL. DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO. NEVER WORKS AS A PARENTING APPROACH. THE NEW LAW APPLIES TO ALL PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICES, SO THAT ALSO INCLUDES IPADS AS WELL AS SMART WATCHES. DALLAS ISD SAYS IF A STUDENT BREAKS A POUCH, THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT BEFORE THEY GET THEIR CELL PHONE BACK. AND AS FOR EMERGENCIES, DALLAS ISD POINTS TO THE LANDLINES THAT ARE IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND SAYS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS UPDATE THEIR CURRENT PHONE NUMBER WITH THEIR SCHOOL SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE EMERGENC
Dallas ISD will use locking pouches to enforce the new Texas law banning student cell phone use during school hours, with a mental health expert advising that students and parents should expect an adjustment period.
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2 Comments
this is so damn stupid they would have to pay for the pouch to get the phone back
better not see these pouches in my school
Brain rot, the first thing they is blame other, take no accountability to even improve anything, you can use phones in classroom to learn too but this losers have to iq over 75 garage people at disd