Isabella Pires first noticed what she calls the B次元官网网址済radual apathy pandemicB次元官网网址� in eighth grade. Only a handful of classmates registered for service projects she helped organize at her Massachusetts school. Even fewer actually showed up.

When she got to high school last fall, Isabella found the problem was even worse: a lackluster Spirit Week and classes where students seldom spoke.

In some ways, itB次元官网网址檚 as if students B次元官网网址渏ust care less and less about what people think, but also ,B次元官网网址� said Isabella, 14. Some teens, she said, no longer care about appearing disengaged, while others are so afraid of ridicule they keep to themselves. She blames and the lingering isolation of the post-COVID era.

Educators say their tried and true lesson plans are no longer enough to keep students engaged at a time of , shortened attention spans, and . At the crux of these challenges? Addiction to cell phones. Now, adults are trying new strategies to reverse the malaise.

are gaining traction, but many say theyB次元官网网址檙e not enough. They argue for alternative stimulation: steering students outdoors or toward to fill time they might otherwise spend alone online. And students need outlets, they say, to speak about taboo topics without fear of being B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� on social media.

B次元官网网址淭o get students engaged now, you have to be very, very creative,B次元官网网址� said Wilbur Higgins, lead English teacher at Dartmouth High School, where Isabella will be a sophomore this fall.

Lock them up

Cell phone pouches, lockers and bins have grown in popularity to .

John Nguyen, a chemistry teacher in California, invented a pouch system because he was so distressed by bullying and fights on phones during class, often without adults interfering. Many teachers are afraid to confront students using phones during lessons, Nguyen said, and others have given up trying to stop it.

At NguyenB次元官网网址檚 school, students lock their phones in neoprene pouches during classes or even all day. A teacher or principalB次元官网网址檚 magnetic key unlocks the pouches.

It doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter how dynamic the lesson, said Nguyen, who teaches at Marina Valley High School and now markets the pouches to other schools. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 nothing that can compete with the cell phone.B次元官网网址�

Do something (else)

Some schools are locking up smartwatches and wireless headphones, too. But the pouches donB次元官网网址檛 work once the final bell rings.

So in Spokane, Washington, schools are ramping up extracurriculars to compete with phones after hours.

An initiative launching this month, B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� in real life B次元官网网址� aims to give every student something to look forward to after the school-day grind, whether itB次元官网网址檚 a sport, performing arts or a club.

B次元官网网址淚solating in your home every day after school for hours on end on a personal device has become normalized,B次元官网网址� Superintendent Adam Swinyard said.

Students can create clubs around interests like board games and knitting or partake in neighborhood basketball leagues. Teachers will help students make a plan to get involved during back-to-school conferences, the district says.

B次元官网网址淔rom 3 to 5:30 you are in a club, youB次元官网网址檙e in a sport, youB次元官网网址檙e at an activity,B次元官网网址� instead of on a phone, Swinyard said. (The district has a new ban on phones during class, but will allow them after school.)

At a time of , he also hopes the activities will be the extra push some students need to attend school. In a Gallup conducted last November, only 48% of middle or high school students said they felt motivated to go to school, and only 52% felt they did something interesting every day. The poll was funded by the Walton Family Foundation, which also supports at AP.

Vivian Mead, a rising senior in Spokane, said having more after-school activities helps but wonB次元官网网址檛 work for everyone. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 definitely still some people who just want to be alone, listen to their music, do their own thing, or, like, be on their phone,B次元官网网址� said Vivian, 17.

Her 15-year-old sister, Alexandra, said morning advisory sessions have improved participation in the drama club that keeps the sisters busy. B次元官网网址淚t forces everyone, even if they donB次元官网网址檛 want to get involved, to have to try something, and maybe that clicks,B次元官网网址� she said.

Get outside

Thirteen middle schools in Maine adopted a similar approach, bringing students outdoors for 35,000 total hours during a chosen week in May.

ItB次元官网网址檚 empowering for students to connect with each other in nature, away from screens, said Tim Pearson, a physical education and health teacher. His students at Dedham School participated in the statewide B次元官网网址淟ife Happens OutsideB次元官网网址� challenge.

Teachers adapted their lessons to be taught outdoors, and students bonded in the open air during lunch and recess. At night, about half of DedhamB次元官网网址檚 students camped, incentivized by a pizza party. Several students told Pearson they camped out again after the challenge.

B次元官网网址淲hether they had phones with them or not, theyB次元官网网址檙e building fires, theyB次元官网网址檙e putting up their tents,B次元官网网址� Pearson said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e doing things outside that obviously are not on social media or texting.B次元官网网址�

Plea to parents

Parents must also make changes to their familyB次元官网网址檚 cell phone culture, some teachers say. At home, Ohio teacher Aaron Taylor bars cellular devices when his own children have friends over.

And when kids are at school, with check-in texts throughout the day, he said.

B次元官网网址淪tudents are so tied to their families,B次元官网网址� said Taylor, who teaches at Westerville North High School, near Columbus. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 this anxiety of not being able to contact them, rather than appreciating the freedom of being alone for eight hours or with your friends.B次元官网网址�

Fight fears of being B次元官网网址榗anceledB次元官网网址�

Some say other forces behind teen disengagement are only amplified by the cell phone. The divisive political climate often makes students unwilling to participate in class, when anything they say can rocket around the school in a messaging app.

TaylorB次元官网网址檚 high school English students tell him they donB次元官网网址檛 talk in class because they donB次元官网网址檛 want to be B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� a term applied to public figures who are silenced or boycotted after offensive opinions or speech.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 like, B次元官网网址榃ell, whoB次元官网网址檚 canceling you? And why would you be canceled? WeB次元官网网址檙e talking about `The Great Gatsby,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� not some controversial political topic, he said.

Students B次元官网网址済et very, very quietB次元官网网址� when topics such as sexuality, gender or politics come up in novels, said Higgins, the Massachusetts English teacher. B次元官网网址淓ight years ago, you had hands shooting up all over the place. Nobody wants to be labeled a certain way anymore or to be ridiculed or to be called out for politics.B次元官网网址�

So Higgins uses websites such as Parlay that allow students to have online discussions anonymously. The services are expensive, but Higgins believes the class engagement is worth it.

B次元官网网址淚 can see who they are when theyB次元官网网址檙e responding to questions and things, but other students canB次元官网网址檛 see,B次元官网网址� Higgins said. B次元官网网址淭hat can be very, very powerful.B次元官网网址�

Alarmed at her peersB次元官网网址� disengagement, Isabella, HigginsB次元官网网址� student, wrote an opinion piece in her schoolB次元官网网址檚 newspaper.

B次元官网网址淧reventing future generations from joining this same downward cycle is up to us,B次元官网网址� she wrote.

A comment on the post highlighted the challenge, and whatB次元官网网址檚 at stake.

B次元官网网址淎ll in all,B次元官网网址� the commenter wrote, B次元官网网址渨hy should we care?B次元官网网址�