HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Teachers at Christian County and Hopkinsville High School say classrooms are better and students are more focused after the district implemented new Yondr pouches to eliminate cellphone use during instruction. While most of the staff are seeing the benefits, student opinions remain mixed.
CCHS Principal Megan Kem shared feedback from teachers and students about the new Yondr bag during the Nov. 6 Board of Education Workshop. According to Kem, all of teachers agree that the classroom environment has improved, with 71% specifically saying that student engagement is higher since phones are locked in the pouches.
To help fill downtime without electronics, teachers have been providing students with board games and books during lunch periods to encourage in-person communication.
Students split on cellphone restriction, attendance and discipline
While teachers overwhelmingly support the change, students are more divided. Of the 820 students surveyed, only 64% said they would entertain the idea of continuing to use the Yondr bags next school year at the new Christian County High School.
Kem explained the school had three goals in implementing the pouches to adhere to new Kentucky Legislature on phone usage saying, “Eliminate cellphones as a distraction to teaching and learning … ensure equitable access to learning resources and lastly, reduce that burden of enforcement on teachers.”
Discipline data presented during the meeting shows a decline in disruptive behavior, disorderly conduct, and profanity this school year, while “failure to follow” violations like sleeping in class have remained the same. Technology violations, however, rose initially from 1.5% to 36% due to the new policy.
“In September, our students tested us a little bit with the Yondr pouch, but that’s okay because we caught you,” Kem said. “I’m happy to say in October that number has gone way down.”
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Daily phone sweeps keep burden off teachers
Members of the leadership team complete a phone sweep every morning as kids are passing through the metal detectors to ensure all electronic devices are secured in their pouches each morning. Students without devices display a discreet sticker signaling to teachers that they do not need to be checked for a pouch. Pouches are required on a daily basis.
Staff also completes daily phone sweeps during class changes to ensure no sort of electronic devices like phones, smart watches, or headphones are being used. An indicator is placed outside of the classrooms if a device is present, prompting intervention from a staff member.
“We all have clips outside our door – they (teachers) just put the phone sweep clip up there and then a member of the leadership comes to address what’s happening in that classroom. And they bring the student outside of the room, so it takes the burden off of the teacher,” Kem said.
Surplus pouches available, student representative perspective
CCHS Student Representative K’Veon Ivory warned classmates to be careful when closing and placing the pouches in their bags. “Some of my friends had to go buy new ones because they just throw it in their backpacks and they just break,” he said.
Kem reassured the board that they have many plenty of replacements available. “We do encourage students to lock them back before they put them in their bag … but the company accounts for that. So, when you purchase the Yondr pouch they give you a 15% surplus. So, we’re not close to running out of pouches,” she said.
Board member Erin Westerfield added that students are even noticing how much free time they have without the distraction of their phones. She added that a student told her they had no idea their lunch period was so long.
Hopkinsville High School Student Representative Karla Quintanilla said her classmates are adjusting well. “I think they’re doing pretty good. I mean, my classes are engaged,” she said during the meeting.
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