GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A Dudley High School teacher doesn’t want students to be distracted by their phones anymore.
“So when you guys don’t have one of these, how do you feel?” I don’t know. I don’t like it. I feel like my phone is part of my life. When I don’t have it, I feel different. Like something is missing,” a high school student said.
“I need my phone because I am always on TikTok and Instagram,” another high school student said.
That’s the sort of thing Dudley High School Band Director Dr. Roger Jackson is tired of. Jackson is a lifelong educator, and he sees phones as a huge issue.
FOX8 asked him if he believes students are addicted to their phones.
“I do believe they are. If we … don’t step in, that’s all they’d ever do,” he said.
So he’s stepping in.
“My classroom had to change. I noticed my scholars are not focused on the lesson. Retention is down so much. I teach something on Monday, I am still teaching the same thing on Friday,” he said.
For one hour a day, his band classroom is a no-phone zone.
“The phones need to totally be removed from them,” Jackson said.
They go into a clear locked storage case with numbers that correspond to each student.
Some students have a hard time and say they wish they could keep them. Others appreciate the break.
“It’s not that bad. I just don’t have my phone for a little bit,” one young man said.
“Their phones can be secure. They can see them the whole entire time we are in class,” Jackson said.
He sought funding for the lock boxes through the nonprofit Donors Choose, which is a crowdfunding site for mostly teachers.
“I … can contact any of the parents through Telegram … All of our parents are there, so if you need me or if you need your child, it’s an easy fix,” he said.
While five anonymous donors helped him buy the cases, he hopes Guilford County and other school districts consider buying more as a step toward a healthier classroom environment.
“It changed my life as an educator. I want my colleagues to feel that relief,” he said.
The aluminum lock boxes cost about $84 and can be mounted on a wall or carried like a suitcase.
