His students began coming to class earlier and earlier, aggressively tackling their schoolwork, editing their photos at an unprecedented pace. It seemed to Michael that the pace was too fast to seem possible.
Michael realized that the student, in fact, was not really interested in his school’s work. Sure, they got the job done quickly, but they didn’t stick to it. The only reason they quit so quickly is because they want to spend more time on their cell phones.
For any teacher, this discovery can be a motivation killer. After all that hard work and planning, and hours of academic dedication, kids just want to navigate their work to spend more time on the tech web. However, the outpouring of negative feelings Michael experienced led to a decision that would eventually captivate the nation.
Michael felt that his lessons really gave students a hands-on opportunity to interact with great resources and materials. He always has the interests of the students in mind. However, when something new seems to be happening every nanosecond on social media, the internet, etc., it can be hard to capture the mind of someone who is so focused on their phone.
It seemed that no matter what threw them, the end goal was to get the phone back.
Michael made the decision to start sticking with student electronics in the classroom. He did hours of research until he finally decided on the storage unit he found on Amazon that he knew was ideal for electronics. After installing the new electronic locker, he developed a foolproof system with all of his classes and students.
The storage unit does more than just store electronics – you can also charge them with built-in charging stations. Michael makes a deal with the students that at the start of each lesson they leave their cell phones in the room. In addition, each child is assigned a special compartment so that they always know where to put it.
Not only will phones stay safe – and distraction-free – but they’ll also have a full charge by the time they can pick them up again.
It was only a matter of days before Michael began to see the fruits of his labor.
Students were more focused and not working for the reward of spending unnecessary minutes connected to their cell phones. Instead of working for the cell phone, they took pride in their work and showed a higher level of efficiency. The students had more time to stay focused.
But that was not all. Michael also noted that his colleagues seemed to like his little idea. Throughout the school, teachers were asking their children to put away their electronic devices at the start of each lesson.
