Helping Students Put Down Their Phones and Connect With One Another

One day, we had a change in schedule. I walked into my classroom a minute late to what I thought was my prep time, but there was my whole class. I was startled—they were dead quiet. It was downright eerie. Instead of kids talking to one another excitedly or interacting in small groups, my students were sitting at their desks on their phones. The classroom was silent. Many schools have put “no phone” policies into place, but mine hasn’t yet. What I witnessed really concerned me.

Why weren’t kids talking to one another and interacting? Everything we have learned about kids and phones (or screens) points to higher levels of depression, loss of social skills, and isolation. I wanted to see kids interacting like we did when we were in school. When my teacher walked into the room, she would see us gathered around a desk, talking to one another in excited conversation, reluctant to go to our seats and begin class because we wanted to talk to our friends.

This new landscape of kids with phones was completely different. I wanted to get students to interact with one another and not their devices. I also wanted to eliminate phone use as a distraction and not babysit the whole hour trying to get kids to put them away. So, I invented “super starters” to get kids talking to one another and to bring about some excitement and interaction at the beginning of classes while getting rid of the phones.

3 Super Starter Questions

On the digital whiteboard I put up three questions and ask students to partner up. The first question is just to get students asking questions of one another: “What did you do this weekend?” or “How is your day going?” These are the kinds of questions I ask my students when they come in the door, questions that show care and concern. I also make a point of modeling. If I want to know how you are doing, and I truly care, are you able to do the same? This created a new atmosphere in our classroom where we show care and concern for one another on a regular basis. It helps us to get to know one another, and it highlights our humanity.

The second question entails some kind of opinion question, such as “What do you think about the eclipse? Do you plan on watching it?” Often this question includes something current, in the news, or pertaining to kids in some way. Here are some other examples:

• Do you like Beyoncé? How would you classify her music?
• What do you think is going on in this picture? (I like to use the New York Times’ “What’s Going On in This Picture?” series from time to time.)
• How did you feel about today’s assembly?
• What classes are you excited about taking next year?

These questions are designed to get students thinking about and sharing their opinion about something. It’s a chance for them to show ownership on a topic, reveal their likes and dislikes, and use their voice.

The last question involves an activity of sorts.

• Can you solve this riddle together?
• What do you think about this clip? Listen to it and discuss.
• Can you figure out what your classmate is creating? Draw a picture in the air, and your partner will guess what it is.

The point of the final question is simply to get kids doing something and focusing on that. This is a good place to incorporate something positive and fun to start the class off on a good note and set the tone. Most of the time, super starters end in laughter, and kids are ready to transition and focus on the day’s work. Sometimes kids are thinking hard already, pensive and ready to dive deep. The last question often involves a brain break activity, but sometimes I sneak in an activity linked to our lesson that is still fun but tied into our learning topic.

So, to sum up a super starter: First, students put their phones away in their backpack for the hour. This removes the distraction, and the expectation is that phones will stay put away. Then, the first question gets kids warmed up and checking in with themselves and their partner(s). The second question gets kids thinking. The last question gets kids genuinely interacting and doing something. Often, the super starter ends with loud banter and excited debate.

Student Feedback

I knew I had something when students began asking for super starters if I didn’t have one ready to go. They loved them! This helps with a social and emotional connection, setting the tone for learning, and beginning each day on a positive note. I came up with many variations, including a choice of partner: someone sitting next to you, someone across the room, groups of three, or a choice of sitting by yourself and doing the exercises alone (there are kids who prefer to do the activity by themselves). Incorporating choice is always appealing to students, and it allows them to choose according to how they are feeling that day.

Beginning with a super starter also sets up the expectations for my students that they will be valued, they will be required to think and express themselves, and they will be required to interact in my classroom. It helps to put kids at ease, build community in the classroom, and switch the focus from screens to people. Perhaps best of all, it carries over into other activities in the classroom. Kids know they are not going to come in and just sit there all hour. Putting the phones away first also sends a strong message about that.