School is back in session for parts of Alabama, and at least one teacher is already noticing a positive effect of the state's cell phone ban.
John Buchwalter, a social studies teacher at Tuscaloosa County High School, recently went viral on social media after posting a video expressing shock at the apparent difference having no cell phones in the classroom has had on his students.
"Today, all of my students — 100% of them — took notes in my class, did their assignment, asked for help when they got stuck and turned it in," he said. "And then when they were done, they talked to each other. Was it this easy the whole time? I have been pulling my hair out for like eight years. Has it been this easy of a solution the whole time?"
The video has received over 1 million views on TikTok and over 2 million on X.
Gov. Kay Ivey signed the FOCUS Act into law last May, requiring students to keep phones and other devices in their lockers and out of the classroom.
Critics of the bill complained about not being able to contact their children during school hours or in the event of an emergency. But proponents argue that phones have become such a distraction and detriment to learning that the benefits far outweigh any potential drawbacks.
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