This spring, our MA Fellows in the School Leadership program will share blog posts about their coursework and learning journey. Interested in becoming part of a future cohort? Connect with us here.
By: Raven Chapple
We were in the final inning. The bases were loaded. The crowd was loud, and the pressure was suffocating. The outcome of the game relied on the decision of the batter at the plate. This was not the time for the plays practiced in comfort. This was not the time to swing like we were used to. This was a time of shifting. The pitcher gathered the last bit of energy he had and adjusted his rhythm. Everything has changed, and what worked in the first few innings won’t work now. We needed to adjust. Fast.
That’s exactly what walking into my new school in Texas felt like.
I was not new to teaching. I’d been in the game for five years and had a rhythm, a few strategies, and a positive data-informed track record. But in the fall of 2024, I found myself staring down at a brand-new pitcher: 2,300 students, a laissez-faire cell phone policy, and a culture I had not yet earned my place in. I wanted to rely on what had always worked, but that was not going to work here.
The only way to stay in the game was to shift my stance. I had to stop swinging like I already knew the outcome and start responding like a novice teacher again: curious, adaptable, and unafraid to revise mid-swing.
The Adaptive Challenge
As a new teacher in the district, my primary goal was to build strong relationships and increase engagement. This would seem like a simple task to an “experienced” teacher. Except I had competition: the dreaded cell phone and a thief named “Comparison.” How do I compete with instant gratification, social media likes, and a beloved expert teacher?
The Four R’s and My Anti-Cellphone Classroom
“All students are required to keep their devices turned off and stored away while in the classroom. Students may use their devices before and after school if they are not in a classroom. Students may use their devices during passing periods and in the cafeteria during breakfast and lunch.”
In the past, I have worked for districts with strict no-cellphone policies and bands. After two days, I realized this was going to be one of my biggest adjustments: the thorn in my side, if you will.
Reflect: Two weeks into the school year. Students were using their phones in the classroom, nonstop, despite the policy explicitly stating, “all students are required to keep their devices turned off and stored away while in the classroom.” Students were not engaged in the lesson, and they were not interacting with each other.
Risk: After the second week of school, I began collecting cellphones. I bought a rack with numbers and told students to place their cell phones in the slot that corresponds with their desk numbers. This would be how I took attendance for a week. Well, this is not fair… I thought… The students were indeed physically in class, and what if they were dinged for skipping?
Revise/Reject: I needed to readjust. How do I get my students to partner with me without threatening them with consequences? Honesty. Eventually, I began collecting cell phones at the door. I called it their “Entrance Fee.” The expectations are prominently posted for those students who do not turn in their phones; therefore, I do not compromise a relationship for compliance. Now, most students turn in their phones at the door and those who do not typically keep them in their backpacks, not because it is a rule, but because we have established a relationship built on a foundation of trust.
After a while, I asked students about their thoughts on our classroom policy, and I found that many of them felt that they were more focused or either indifferent toward the collection of phones. Many of my students attested it did not affect them because they still had access to their phones (they are visibly on my desk). Students strongly against the classroom policy are also against ALL cell phone policies. They just want to be able to make the choice themselves. I also posed the question, “If you could design the ideal phone policy for your classroom, what would it be and why?” I was met with a few surprising responses:
Hard Truths
The truth is, I wanted to approach my new school from a place of comfort and familiarity, but this was not possible. My new position required me to grow and be open to learning new systems, cultures, students, and coworkers. Change is inevitable in the arena of education: new students, new curricula, new laws, new coworkers, new struggles, new leadership, etc. Moving was not only a shift for me physically, but it was also stepping up to the plate in the bottom of the final inning, with everything on the line. I couldn’t rely on old plays and everything that I was accustomed to. I had to adjust, mid-swing, and trust that learning something new didn’t mean I’d forgotten everything. knew.
Embracing the novice mindset has restored my confidence and passion for education. I have learned to accept each challenge as an opportunity to grow as an educator and free myself from the fixed mindset. After all, the novice mindset allowed me to learn my new space and adapt accordingly. The truth is there is always another pitch coming and now with the novice mindset, I’m ready for it.
About the Author
Raven Chapple is a member of Cohort Four and a 2024 fellow for the MA in School Leadership. Raven is an 11th-grade English Teacher at Red Oak High School in Red Oak, Texas. This is her sixth year as an English teacher and first year in Texas. She has been a volleyball coach, cheer coach, and yearbook coordinator.