The Benefits of a 'No Cell Phone' Policy

This past fall, WWS adopted a new policy where middle and high schoolers (grades 6-11) turn in their cell phones first thing during morning advisory. The phones are locked away and returned just before the students leave for the day. Our seniors have the ability to keep their phones for the day and use them during designated break times as they are practicing skills they’ll need after they graduate.

As difficult as this was for students to accept at first, it has made a world of difference in our school. There isn’t the temptation to rush to the bathroom to check a text or habitually take it out in the lunch room. Instead, our students are engaging with each other. They are making eye contact and having conversations. We hoped for an “out of sight, out of mind” scenario and that is what we got. We couldn’t be happier with our decision this year.

-Matt Taffel
Assistant Head of School

Matthew Preston Smith is the director of school at North Country School (NY). Check out HIS POST where he shares how removing access to cellphones helped increase interaction among his students.