I also give specific cell phone time in the last few minutes of class.” - Erin L. They can use them for music as they work. If I don’t see it or hear it, it doesn’t exist.” - Joan L.

“I have a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy in my room.

They need to learn how to use their phones for good too.” - Julie J. They can collaborate on Google Docs, take pictures of tableaus that they created based on various scenes in literature, and look up vocabulary words.

“I integrate cell phone usage into my lesson plan.

I casually call out kids who are on theirs while I’m teaching, but I often use them as an in-class tool and I really don’t feel the need to make a big deal of them. Teach them to use their personal electronics appropriately. Think about how you feel when you forget or lose your phone.

Rather than automatically banning cell phones in class, many teachers try to create a thoughtful policy with student buy-in instead. We only recommend items our team loves!) Cell Phone Policy vs. (Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.

So we asked WeAreTeachers readers to share their thoughts on our Facebook page, and here are their top tips and ideas for managing cell phones in your classroom. Many schools and districts have created their own cell phone policies, but others leave things up to individual teachers. Others consider a complete ban the only way to go. Some teachers embrace them as part of instruction and learning. Using or banning cell phones in class is one of the most controversial topics these days.

Phone pocket holder