Out of the Mouth of Babes "Our Future Leaders"
Welcome to "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" with Kevin Handley Sr.!
In this enlightening and empowering podcast, we delve into the minds of the next generation—the brilliant and dynamic youth who hold the keys to our collective future. Join our host, Kevin Handley Sr., as he takes us on an inspiring journey through conversations with young visionaries, activists, innovators, and changemakers from around the world.
Each episode of "Out of the Mouth of Babes" brings you candid and thought-provoking interviews with these remarkable young individuals who are making a significant impact in their communities and beyond. From tackling pressing global issues to spearheading innovative projects, these youth leaders are reshaping the world as we know it.
Kevin Handley Sr., a seasoned and compassionate host, skillfully uncovers the stories behind these young achievers, delving into their motivations, challenges, and the transformative experiences that have shaped their journeys. Listeners will be inspired by the depth of insight and wisdom these young guests possess, proving that age is no barrier to effecting meaningful change.
Whether you're a parent, educator, community member, or simply passionate about youth-driven initiatives, "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" offers a unique platform to learn, engage, and celebrate the voices of the youth. Together, we can gain valuable perspectives and support the aspirations of these incredible young leaders, nurturing a brighter and more inclusive tomorrow.
Join us as we amplify the voices of the youth and discover the extraordinary potential that lies within "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" with Kevin Handley Sr. Be ready to be moved, motivated, and inspired!
Out of the Mouth of Babes "Our Future Leaders"
S1 EP6 pt1 - Policy and Personal Freedom: Exploring Cell Phones, Accountability, and Expression in Schools
Can rigid school policies truly strike a balance between focus and freedom? Richmond High School students Xavier and join us for a lively debate that explores their school's cell phone policy. Xavier shares his first-hand experiences of how the policy aids his concentration but questions its impact on teachers. Meanwhile, Uvra offers a more nuanced perspective, suggesting a flexible approach that incorporates personal responsibility. Together, we dive into the intricacies of school rules and their real-world implications for both students and educators.
Our episode takes a thoughtful turn as we ponder the dance between student accountability and teacher responsibility. School policies often press teachers to maintain order, but where should the line be drawn when students are non-compliant? We thoughtfully discuss the realities of enforcing these rules and the importance of personal choice, especially in high-pressure environments like AP classes. Listeners will appreciate our balanced dialogue that recognizes the challenges teachers face and the role of personal responsibility in creating a productive learning atmosphere.
Beyond the classroom, the conversation shifts to the vibrant lives of our guests, offering a glimpse into their extracurricular passions. Youvraj and Xavier open up about their interests, from sports and music to school clubs, painting a picture of well-rounded students navigating both academic and personal growth. We also touch on the complexities of dress code policies, balancing self-expression with a respectful learning environment. This episode promises a captivating exploration of the multifaceted student experience, blending policy discussions with personal insights and anecdotes.
Welcome back to Out of the Mouth of Babes. We are here. I got two students in the house and they came in here specifically to debate with me. I'm going to let them introduce themselves and then we're getting right into it.
Speaker 2:I'm Xavier. I go to Richmond. I'm a junior now. That's weird.
Speaker 3:I'm in Uvra. I'm Uvra. I also go to Richmond High School and I'm a 10th grader, all right.
Speaker 1:So I you know, when I first start the conversation with kids, I always ask them what do they want to talk about, what do they want to come here and express?
Speaker 1:The first thing they said to me they wanted to have a conversation about the dress. I mean, I'm sorry about the cell phone policy. Now I told them first up, straight up, we're going to have a debate because I agree with it. But they got some points that they want to make, so I'm going to turn it over to them, I'm going to let them go. Then I'm going to debate with them. I'm going to let them go.
Speaker 2:Then I'm going to debate with them. Well, my own thoughts on the cell phone policy. I think it's like I think it's a good thing, but I think it's like overdone is my opinion on it. Because I think that there's things that are good, because I think there was definitely a big problem with phones at schools and I think that they were a really big distractor. But I think that they kind of went a little too far, like you know, threatening the teachers and like um, like with their jobs, like I think like that's kind of pushing it, because I understand that some teachers like to really get teachers and force that. Maybe that was their like motivator, but I think that it's also sometimes it's like that's a lot for a teacher to have to control on top of everything she's already, or not she, but they are already doing, like whether that's, you know, giving kids homework or making sure they're on task, and then you have to add on, like the phone, and now it's like if someone comes in and you know they just didn't see someone was on their phone and then now they're in trouble and they got like insubordination and things like that.
Speaker 2:So it sounds like you all for cell phone policy kind of I'm not gonna lie, I mean I was a little like hesitant going into it, but I think, at least for me personally, it's helped me get more work done because I'm not so focused like I'll put my phone up, oh shoot, I'm not supposed to have to stop because I care about my teachers, you know. So I'm not trying to get their job in jeopardy over me. Just, oh, we can't do this class right now. Like, like I want to. I'm trying to, you know, help my teachers out, and they don't want to have to keep telling everybody to put their phone away, as much as I don't want to have to keep getting yelled at for it. So that's why I'm like well if I just keep it away or keep it upside down, like where I'm not even looking at it, like it's always in my phone case, like if I'm a senior working on my work. So I mean I am kind of for it, I guess.
Speaker 1:What's up, UV? I hear UV got some opposing arguments. Let me hear them.
Speaker 3:I'd say it's kind of 50-50. When it comes to the school thing, I believe that phones are like a bit of a distraction, but to some extent it's okay. Like, for example, it's not fair for me because I mostly do all my classwork inside school and I'm usually done and stuff and I want a break and stuff. So, like teachers, don't let me do that. I don't think that's fair. I think there should be like some like limits or stuff like that, so that students can still use their phone even if they have like their basic stuff done.
Speaker 1:So what I hear from both of you is that number one you realize that the cell phones were a distraction. Would you guys agree with that? Yeah, 100% you realize that some of your peers abused the cell phone policy. Is that correct?
Speaker 2:yeah so and you realize that technically, if it was a distraction, it was hindering academic progress yes, yeah, but I also agree with him on the thing that's like I mean, we're both like higher, like we both take honors classes and I'm taking ab classes and so like even in my resource I'm not allowed to have it out, even if I had all my work done. So it's like that's where it's like really hard because, like you have everything done and there's a resource, so it's like I'm not like I have like any classwork in that class. So that's where it's like man, it's so hard.
Speaker 1:I just don't even know how y'all do it. I mean back in the day, and I know y'all get tired of saying that, but we just had to get a book and read it right, we just had to get a book yeah, I mean maybe I need to go check that out, go get a little book from the library so what?
Speaker 3:I hear you saying is, but I also believe that you know phones, like last year during class, like whenever I had a question I could always look it up on google and like get quick knowledge on it.
Speaker 1:So so let me ask you this question like do they also? You know again, it's my understanding that they provide you guys these little black things that flip up with a keyboard on it. Is that accurate still?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and what is that called A Chromebook?
Speaker 1:A Chromebook. So to your point, uv you.
Speaker 3:Raj. But you can use your phone for like a quick lookup or something Chromebooks are like. You have to open it up, type in the password and stuff. That's real hard so we're talking convenience.
Speaker 2:Yeah, convenience, I mean I don't know, it is more convenient. I have to give them that it's quicker.
Speaker 1:Quicker, quicker. So I hear you guys saying that you guys are in a lot more academic courses and it could help you in some of your research. Is that what I hear you saying? Yeah, yeah. But I also hear that you know, you realize that it is a distraction for some of your peers.
Speaker 3:A lot of them. It's a distraction for me as well, yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, you are. What Did I get? An omission of guilt.
Speaker 2:Maybe a slight one.
Speaker 1:A slight one.
Speaker 2:Something like that.
Speaker 1:So what I think I should be hearing from the two of you? It sounds like maybe you should go to your administrators and tell them you appreciate them creating a cell phone policy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I actually do. I've actually talked to them Me and my mom have had this conversation before that like I do like that they enforce it. I just don't necessarily like the way they're enforcing it. Like I just don't like that they're putting the teachers' whole jobs in jeopardy. Like I really am appreciative for my teachers that are there, and so a lot of these teachers have already been really stressed, and then now they have this new dress code that they're already having to deal with, like, and then add on more stuff.
Speaker 1:So what it sounds like to me you know, I've worked in schools for a couple years at least it sounds like the way that the teachers are convincing you guys to do what they're supposed to do. They're saying to you all and again, not all teachers, but it sounds like maybe one person, maybe two, maybe three have communicated to you all that their jobs are in jeopardy if you don't put your cell phones away. Is that?
Speaker 2:Well, not necessarily in jeopardy, but they said that they could get in trouble if there was an administrator, for example, that was to come in and let's say that the teacher had not either enforced it or had said something about them having a phone out. There's something along those lines that they could have been in, maybe trouble or something like that.
Speaker 3:I don't feel like the teacher should be held accountable for something that the student is responsible for. Like that's not fair. What if a student just being reckless and ignorant and just surfing their phone without caring about what the teacher has to say?
Speaker 2:but then at the end of the day to it is their classroom. That's where it's hard for me, because it's one of those policies where it's like on paper it sounds really nice, but then sometimes in practice it's a little difficult because it's the teacher's classroom, so they should be responsible for what happens in it. But then it's like I mean, yes, you want to hold them accountable for holding the students accountable, but then how do you do that if, let's say, the student? I mean you can't make anybody do anything. So if the student's really refusing, I mean they're gonna have to send them to that the administrative office. And then they do. You have the whole classroom refusing. Then you have to send the whole class, like you know, I mean it's. I feel like to an extent it also might just overwhelm, like even the administrative office, like in, like our front of the school yeah.
Speaker 1:So let me just give you my opinion on this. So I don't think a teacher if a teacher has said that, I don't think it's fair for them to say you need to comply or we're going to get in trouble. I mean, there are expectations and guidelines in schools and sometimes it's all it. It's a board policy probably that has been disseminated down to the administration. So and then which from the administration down to the teachers. But there's also a process, right? So if an administrator walks into a classroom and sees Johnny on the phone, the teacher's not going to immediately get in trouble. What most administrators will do is that they'll say hey, put your phone away, and then they may have a conversation with the teacher late, and they probably won't even the first couple of times.
Speaker 1:Now if they go into the same classroom and the same?
Speaker 2:kids five or six times.
Speaker 1:Then, yeah, they're gonna tell, then they're gonna have a conversation with the teacher. So I don't, I don't think that a student shouldn't be held like feeling you know, like I need to comply, because I don't want miss so-and-so or mr so-and-so to get in trouble. That's not how you change behavior. That's to me, to me. If that's what's happening, it's manipulation. That's just my ten cents.
Speaker 2:So I mean I don't know, but for me, at least personally, it's a reinforce for me, because I mean I understand that it is maybe in some other eyes it's like manipulation, but at the same time it's like for me, even if it was granted you'd also take that up with the student, for you know, having the phone out multiple times, Like then, it's kind of less on the teacher and on the student for being a repeat offender at that point. But like I think that for me, like I don't want to have to even be putting my teachers in a situation where they could be getting in trouble to start with, or even myself, I mean I don't want to get in trouble either. So it's like I don't know, maybe just making those decisions which maybe there's a good thing for kids our age to be making decisions, whether they want to choose to follow the rule or you know get in trouble for it.
Speaker 3:Me personally, I just don't want to lose my phone, so that's why I don't get on so you're gonna keep it real, huh yeah, yeah you don't want to lose it, right?
Speaker 2:yeah, I'm keeping because, like first time they give you a warning, second time they take it away but like, sometimes, like, even if it's like music, like I feel like if I just have my headphones in and like it's not like I'm on my phone, like picking songs, like you know these kids that do that like they're in chains.
Speaker 3:They also do like a headphone policy and something yeah like they.
Speaker 2:They make three wires, so it's have headphones or your phone drink I still have mine in, I think.
Speaker 1:Oh, so that's some defiance. Is that what I hear you?
Speaker 2:Raj I, I ain't gonna lie, I've had mine in a couple times.
Speaker 2:Oh, no but it's only when I'm not like during like class time, like I actually I've been trying to follow as closely as I could Like. If a teacher's teaching me or if they're doing anything like that, then I'm trying to like, if I'm like writing an essay, or if I'm like, you know, reading not reading, but like doing some notes, just like some like homework, like during my AP resource, I feel like what's the harm of me listening to music if I'm not bothering nobody? It's not like nobody's teaching me at the moment.
Speaker 1:Did I hear you say what's the harm? Yeah, what's the harm?
Speaker 3:The harm is that there only use music in my ears when the teacher's not teaching. Oh okay.
Speaker 2:See, that's what I'm saying, I mean, but who am I hurting?
Speaker 3:Not myself, Not hurting anybody else except for the school policy.
Speaker 1:So you guys are in a lot of ACP classes, AP classes.
Speaker 3:Me too.
Speaker 1:I said both of you guys are in there, right? Yeah, yeah so I said you guys are in there, right, yeah, yeah. So I said you guys are both in those classes and so, um, we get to get a little hectic sometimes. There's a lot of course work, um, and are you telling me that you will still sit there with your headphones in and listen to music?
Speaker 2:but it's like my free period I mean not free period, it's an AP resource to work on work, and that's what I'm doing I'm working on work.
Speaker 3:I don't have no AP resource, but I can have them in when nobody's talking to me and stuff.
Speaker 1:So you're going to do what you want to do.
Speaker 3:To some extent yes.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I'm just going to you know their names.
Speaker 2:You're looking out administrators because they're going to do what they want to do. I mean, I always comply. If they tell me to take my headphones out or put my phone away, I'm going to do that.
Speaker 3:I haven't been told to take out my headphones. I'm going to put out my phone.
Speaker 2:What class are you doing this in again?
Speaker 1:Don't start putting people out there. We're not trying to talk about anybody. I'm talking about me.
Speaker 3:I know trying to talk about anybody, I'm talking about me.
Speaker 2:No, I'm saying he asked for the class and the teacher.
Speaker 1:I don't want to put them out there. Anything else you guys want to discuss? About what's going on?
Speaker 2:How do you feel about the new policy? Like the dress code, they're disenforcing it more. How do you feel about that?
Speaker 3:It hasn't affected me yet, so I don't feel anything about it.
Speaker 2:To an extent. Extent I kind of agree with that too, but I mean, honestly, it's expected. I'm not expected, but it's in. It's kind of affected more people like outside of me, like it's affected a lot of, you know, women, and I mean some men too, but some people that, just like, are choosing to express themselves through clothing and they're wearing like I mean there's a lot of people that would over, are choosing to express themselves through clothing and they're wearing like I mean there's a lot of people that would overdo it, like they'd wear what's called a midriff, I guess, and they'd wear, like, basically, a bra, like I don't think that should be allowed, but I think if it's like not even showing their belly button, it's like I mean, I guess it's short but like I don't know. I feel like, to an extent, if you're that worried about what somebody else is wearing, then maybe you need to focus more on yourself. I don't agree with that.
Speaker 3:I mean like if the clothing is not offending any other, like group of people and stuff, and if it's like somewhat tolerable, I guess it's okay.
Speaker 2:Well, but no, but I mean like I don't know, Like I definitely my own big thing about it is like I kind of get spaghetti strapped stuff, cause like I mean, I personally I'm always like, well, what are shoulders Like? I'm not looking to know. What are shoulders Like? Oh my god, they have their shoulders out. But at the same time it's like I don't really want anybody you know stretching like the rules To like, you know, cause kids will do that, they'll take something and make it Be like well, I, you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So let's just throw some examples out. Right, you know again, I've been in a school once or twice in my time. You get a kid who's walking around with a hat on some dark shades.
Speaker 2:It's scary, and I agree with you on that, and I'm not saying that. Why is?
Speaker 1:it scary.
Speaker 2:Well, let's be honest, oh, just keep it real, just because at Dennis I mean not even that a couple years ago, like there was just that shooting there and then it was like also just all over America.
Speaker 3:And so with that all happening.
Speaker 2:I think that's not necessarily something you want just freely around the school.
Speaker 3:Hats is not that big of a problem, but like sunglasses like you can't identify a person's face if they've got sunglasses on so that can be like a safety issue.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so safety. So what about these young men that tend to walk around with their pants sagging?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I never really got that one. I don't do that, yeah, but I've heard like they got something against chains or something yeah. I've heard that there's a new chain policy. Wasn't there?
Speaker 3:Yeah well, I wear too many chains at school, chains like necklaces I don't know, necklaces, or it's like the.
Speaker 1:The chains that hang from your hands.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I mean, I get it. Maybe if it got caught on something or something like that.
Speaker 3:I wear too many chains. I wear like two chains.
Speaker 2:Two chains.
Speaker 1:On your neck, yeah, so you walk around like Mr T you know, he say so, we show him off real quick.
Speaker 3:I don't have any on right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't either. I don't. I don't wear chains. I mean, I want one, but I don't really think if a chain does have nothing like Derogatory or anything like messages on them like that, like if, like as if it's tucked in or something like that, like what, what's the Harm in it?
Speaker 3:Well, what if you want to show it off? It's not a big deal if it's not offending anybody.
Speaker 2:I what if I'm offended because you got chains on and I?
Speaker 3:don't got one on. That sounds like a you problem.
Speaker 2:I mean I get that, but there's not. I mean not necessarily me, but there's kids that can't necessarily have and the intent is not to offend anybody. I don't know, I mean you can't really blame somebody for not having it like that. I mean they just don't got it like that. I don't know. My whole thing is. I mean I think change should be allowed. Um, I'm like 50, 50 on, like the midriff, I don't a lot of. They always push the rules way too far on them, like well they're like.
Speaker 2:Well, because if you allow it, if you don't force it heavily, then a lot of kids will push it and like wear things that clearly are like. You probably shouldn't be wearing, that, like you know, you're in a setting where you're trying to be sitting here to learn and you're not sitting here trying to. You know, attract nobody Like you should be going to school, ready to try and learn and go to school and ready to try to, you know, achieve these things. And granted, it is a social place, but it doesn't mean you should be sitting there, you know, using it to your advantage in that way. You should place, but it doesn't mean you should be sitting there.
Speaker 3:You know using it to your advantage in that way. You should use like a resource out. I feel that I feel that you know me personally. I don't feel like I should be commenting on like midriffs and stuff, because I don't wear them and I'm like not of that person type.
Speaker 1:Let me guys ask, let me ask you guys a question what role do you all think student voices should play in shaping school policies and procedures?
Speaker 2:I think that administrators should not take the student voices with a grain of salt, but I think that they should also as the adult in this situation. I think that they should review what makes sense and what doesn't, because a lot of students will. For an example, let's just say, with this phone policy, there's probably a lot of students complaining like, oh, we should have phones.
Speaker 2:But as the adult in the situation, they should also understand that kids want their phones, but they're not necessarily looking for the solution to make it, um, work like within through the school day, like, and these administrators are really looking out for what's best with the students and I think that's kind of looked past by a lot of students. They think, oh, they just want to take our phones away, but they weren't really trying to take your phones away. What they're trying to do is get you to focus more on your classes and try to teach you better. So I think that a lot of kids are just looking at the negatives and not what they're trying to actually accomplish with it. So I think that the student voice should be heard, but as an adult, you should decide and take it into consideration.
Speaker 3:I think that the student body should have some voice over some events, but not everything. For example, maybe the student voice should have voice over homecoming games, events like that, things that are related to the student body, but important subjects that affect the entire school, such as like the cell phone policy or like the dress code, should not be fully put on the responsibility of the student body so like maybe like the fifth row or the sixth row, all right.
Speaker 1:Well, gentlemen, I appreciate this conversation. I appreciate the fact that you guys have been very candid. I'd like for us to spend a couple of minutes talking about some of the things that we're involved in. You, Raj, I know that you are a very talented young man, as well as Xavier. I think you guys both have a lot of things that you do outside of poetry. So you, Raj, tell us a little bit about what you're involved in and then. Xavier, you tell us what you're involved in.
Speaker 3:Oh boy, I have a lot of things that I'm involved in. Let's get started. I like playing the piano, the violin. I've been playing those since, like I was five. I started the piano when I was five, Started the violin like seventh, sixth grade. I'm a part of many clubs at my school. I do green club, I do poetry club, which is not at the high school but like it's kind of there. Yeah, I also take part in BPA. I'm also in HOSA. I'm in all the clubs. I'm a very busy guy. I love to bike. I love to very busy guy. I love to bike, I love to ride my bike, I like to run and I also play golf. That's me.
Speaker 2:So I run cross country, I play basketball, I run track, I do the Wind County Riders with him.
Speaker 1:And him, and him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and all my other fellow riders. I do like basketball outside of the school, which is AU, and then like summer training and things like that I like to be involved with like the school. So I do like things like RDMs, which is Red Devil Mentors, where we go and like help show, like the freshmen around on freshman orientation or we help with like the blood drive and like things with that. And then I'm also part of the what's it called Bleacher Creatures. I'm one of the leaders of that, which is pretty, I like to say I'm pretty proud of. So we go and like we help with the school events, like we help set up and we help like find ideas for like the game, like theme, like the themes for games, like we help with that and we help like all those type of things, so something that's pretty fun. So there's that.
Speaker 1:All right, anything else you guys want to share? I know you, raj. You've just gotten into chess right?
Speaker 3:I dropped it. You dropped chess. You don't play anymore. I'm no longer interested.
Speaker 2:What happened? I play chess every now and then. It's fun.
Speaker 3:I guess. Well, my personality I'm more of like an obsessive kind of person, so I stick to one thing.
Speaker 1:Then I eventually get bored of it and then I drop it, and then I found another thing to stick with. All right, did you master chess? Um, no, nowhere close. All right now. You heard you say you play golf.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was on the golf course this morning with uh, kiera, really she's on the golf team now she is. Yeah, I know that I want to learn how to golf, yeah you need to both of you guys.
Speaker 1:Are you on the golf team? You've run.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm on the golf team all right.
Speaker 1:So yeah, xavier, I think it'll be fun. It's a, it's a really uh sport that. Yeah, I'm on the golf team, all right. So yeah, xavier, I think it'll be fun. It's a really sport that really Networking? Yeah, networking, but also it challenges you.
Speaker 3:Mentally.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because even today, this morning, I hit a couple balls and they were like mew, mew. And I'm like man, I know I can hit a ball.
Speaker 2:Before we end it, I just want to say I did not know you played the piano and what did you say the violin?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's crazy. You might need to show me how to work it real quick. Next time you come up here, bring the violin. I want to hear you on the violin Like this. Okay, all right, hey, appreciate you. Session one Get out of the mouth of babes the voice for our youth.