College Students Ban Texting During Class

Today was the first day of class for the Fall 2015 semester at our university. I am in the School of Education and help train the pre-service teachers. I thought it was an awesome start because our elementary/early childhood majors were excited, enthusiastic, energetic and talkative. They are truly "wannabe teachers" on steroids! Their passion for teaching is contagious.

At the end of class I held up my cell phone and told them that we had one last topic to discuss before dismissal.

I said, "We haven't talked about texting in class."

It got dead quiet as I said, "So, I need to know how all of you feel about it."

All at one time, the students chimed in and said "No, we don't like it. It's very distracting when others around us are texting." Whoa... that was not at all what I expected!

I know many professors are not concerned at all about the amount of texting that goes on during class, and they have told me they are able to ignore it. But, I believe that students who are preparing to teach need to be focused, involved and on task during class.

Old-fashioned you say? An out-of-date philosophy to ban texting?

Maybe... but today I was grateful for mature, respectful, interested and dedicated students who made the decision themselves to participate in class and not be distracted by text messages constantly lighting up their screens. They seemed to back the recent pitch on TV that says "texting can wait.'

I want my grandchildren in the classrooms of these future teachers!