As most of you already know, some Tallwood teachers have a five minute phone policy. These teachers allow students to be on their phones for either the first five minutes or last five minutes of class. This is meant to help students better concentrate during class time, yet most of my teachers have either forgotten or chosen to ignore it.

I have some amazing teachers, and, at the beginning of the year, they all seemed perfectly content with this idea. For the first couple weeks of school, they allotted us this time at the end or beginning of their classes to reply to text messages, snapchats, or anything else we may need to do.

I began to feel comfortable with the idea of not needing to sneak glances at my phone between classes. This new leniency made my classmates and I okay with ignoring the buzz of our phones in our pockets during an AP Human Geography lecture. We were able to remain concentrated because we knew we would be able to reply to these messages within an hour.

However, as the days passed, or teachers began to revert to the old procedure. Having a phone out meant having its use temporarily banned, and we would work until the bell rang.

A few of the teachers seem to have forgotten the policy, which is unfortunate, since I felt it was really helping. With it in effect, lessons were ending in a timely manner, and we had time to pack up our belongings and get to our next classes in at a reasonable pace. Students were far more focused in class thanks to the reassurance the policy granted them.

With this assurance gone, our procedures and actions have understandably reverted to their previous ways. Students have gone back to stealthily checking their phones during class, and teachers remind students to ask permission before removing their phones from pockets or bags.

Granted, High School is far more lenient about phone use than our previous schools, and my teachers often allow us to listen to music while completing work. But this doesn’t entirely make-up for the loss of those five minutes that we were promised.

I would ask that teachers think back on this policy and return to scheduling a small five minute window out of their hour and a half with us at the beginning or end of their class for us to be on our phones.

Below are the stories featured in this issue of The Roaring Gazette.

Do students and staff believe schools should start later? by Khyannia Banks

Lion Voices: Describe the most interesting teacher you’ve ever had by Frances Summers

Meet a Lion: Mr. Waagen by Bethany Hansel

“Five minute phone policy” helps students focus in class by Finnley Brakke

Should the U.S. redefine terrorism? by Marissa Goodall

Food industry giant must rethink its policy by Ashley Archila-Ventura

“The Good Doctor” shines a light on an important issue by Sotiria Bessinas

Taco Bell an under-rated gem by Chris Purkiss