Put the Phone Away

When New Zealand schoolteacher Chris Valli confiscated a student's cell phone during class, he never imagined it would cost him his career and ultimately, deregistration. Cast out by the system he once served for 10 years, Chris was left questioning everything he believed about respect, consequences and having the mental health strategies or behavioural toolbox to cope as a former primary school teacher who transitioned to secondary. In the ashes of his teaching career, Chris finds a new voice—as a journalist and author in what he describes as owning his mistakes and truths. With raw honesty and insight, he chronicles the silent struggles inside classrooms, the moral grey zones teachers walk daily, and the dangerous power of community public perception in the age of viral outrage. Put the Phone Away is a powerful memoir of redemption, reinvention, and resilience. It's a story for every teacher who's ever felt powerless, for every parent navigating the digital minefield, and for every reader who's ever wondered what really happens behind the school gates. With humour, heartbreak, and hard-earned wisdom, Chris Valli shows that sometimes, losing everything can help you find your true calling. Chris says his growth didn't come from success but from sitting with the truth he once tried to avoid. "Teaching made me perform. Writing made me reflect. And in that reflection, I finally found myself. Vulnerability is a strength."