By Emma Loura
Teachers at Manhattan High School are seeing increased student engagement and experiencing a renewed joy of teaching after a new cell phone policy took effect this semester. Manhattan High School’s principal, Michael Dorst, said students responded well in the first two weeks of classes.
“It has been an early success,” Dorst said. “Manhattan High School students have responded very well to a policy that really changed how we approached the learning environment.”
The new cell phone policy forbids students from using personal electronic devices during class times. Cell phones must be placed in a calculator pouch, out of sight and out of mind while classes are in session. The first violation is a warning. After the second, the student’s phone is locked away. Students are allowed to use their phones during lunch time.