When walking into a classroom at Northwest High School, one will see numbered pockets most likely hanging from the wall. These pockets are used to hold the student’s cell phones. However, until this year they were only optional for teachers.

The cell phone policy at Northwest High School had been easy to follow for the past few years. As long as the student’s technology was put away while class was in session, there was never a real problem.

However, students keeping their phones on them started to become a problem. With students having easy access to their phones, it lead to them playing on their devices rather than paying attention in class.

The consequence: all phones must now be in the pockets. The lack of responsibility of students led to the cell phone pockets being placed in every classroom. Students were then instructed to place their phones into the pockets to prevent further distractions in class.

There were some worries about the cell phone pockets, but they proved themselves effective when it came to preventing distractions. Students were worried about the negative possibilities that came with the pockets, such as damage to their devices or missing an important message.

“I do think classroom productivity has increased when students put their cell phones in the pockets,” said English teacher Mrs. Adema.

The policy has continued throughout the year successfully with fewer distractions than in previous years.

“When the phones are away, the students are much more engaged in what’s going on in the classroom,” said teacher Mr. Klinger.

However, as the school year has progressed, the pockets are being used less and less by students.

Some students are continuing to keep their phones with them which are leading to increased distractions once again.

Coming into the 2019-20 school year, the cell phone policy became stricter at the high school. It became mandatory for students to put their devices in their assigned pockets. If students don’t follow this simple rule, the consequence for next year could be even more harsh.

Even though the policy proved itself to be effective, the recent increase in phone violations has many wondering if more restrictions are coming.

It would appear that no matter how many adjustments are made to the cell phone policy, there may never be a permanent successful result. Let us just hope that the future does not have phones banned all together.