Mitchell Rutherford has had enough. His last day as a biology teacher at Sahuaro High School in Tucson, Arizona, was May 23, 2024. He is quitting because of his students’ “addiction” to their cellphones.
Mitchell, age 35, taught for over a decade. He believes things got worse because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He told the Wall Street Journal when students returned to school "something shifted."
At first Mitchell blamed himself. “I was beginning to think I was the problem,” he recalled. Students simply did not care about their grades.
Sahuaro High School does not allow cellphone use in class. Teachers have to enforce this on their own. Mitchell tried everything from extra credit to cellphone jail. Before the pandemic, he said students would listen to him when he asked them to put their phones away. Now, it’s almost a lost cause.
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Mitchell did have some success getting students to find a hobby outside of their phones. He came up with this idea in April. He was pleased that it seemed to catch on.
Mitchell does not blame the students. He thinks adults need to recognize the problem and work to find a solution. “As a society, we need to prioritize educating our youth and protecting our youth and allowing their brains and social skills and happiness to develop in a natural way without their phones,” he explained to KVOA.
It is not certain what is next for Mitchell. He is considering working on a doctorate degree. He may seek employment at an online college-prep school or vocational program. While he believes he is making the right decision, leaving isn’t easy.
“Part of me feels like I’m abandoning these kids,” he admitted. “I tell kids to do hard things all the time and now I’m leaving? But I decided I’m going to try something else that doesn’t completely consume me and drain me.”
