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I'm a teacher at a large high school, and the cell phone debate has been raging for years. Most parants and teens believe the cell phones should be allowed, while administrators disagree. Our school had strict rules against the possession of cell phones on campus.

Most of the teachers did not agree with the rule, however, and quite honestly, the rule was not usually strictly enforced in the classroom. As long as the student had the phone turned off during class and wasn't "flashing" it around, most teachers looked the other way if they caught a glimpse of the offending phone in a purse or a backpack.

These phones serve an important function as a link between parents and their children. During their lunch or between classes, children are able to receive messages like "Stop by the store on you way home," "Don't forget your doctor's appointment," or "I have to work late, so I need you to pick your little brother up from school." this mode of communication causes far less disruption than a voice blaring over the intercom, right at the crucial point of a lesson, saying, "Mrs. Brown? Mrs. Brown, can you hear me? Mrs. Brown, are you there? This is Miss Smith at the front desk. Can you send Bobby Johnson to the office for a message?" Now Bobby has to go all the way to the office (our school is huge!) to get a simple message he could have taken care of himself with his cell phone.

Another very important reason for cell phones at school is safety. With all the violence and dangers occurring in our schools in the last few years, students' having a phone gives parents a lot of peace of mind. If parents hear about an event at the school. They can call their kids to make sure they're okay. We've been lucky so far; we've never had an intruder or a student resort to dangerous behavior. We did, however, have a large tornado touch down near the school. Many parents, of course, were aware of the storm from the local news and the loud siren that goes off when a tornado has been verified in the county, so parents were very worried. The students who had cells were able to sneak in a reassuring call to their parents.

Cell phones at school can be a wonderful asset, as long as students use them responsibly. Teachers have to be vigilant, also, as I'm sure a few students might try to use texting to get answers on a test or for some other unauthorized use. My children are all out of school, but if they were in school now, I'd want them to have a cell phone with them at all times. I'd just be sure they followed proper phone ettiquette and not let it become a problem for the teachers or a hindrance to learning.

Learn more about this author, Holle Abee.
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