Pocket Points
Don't Give Up on Change
When students first enter your room, they have no conceived notion of what they can or cannot do with their phones. You must work to establish a precedent. Not all students will buy into this process but some will. Knowing that you are offering a positive incentive to all students alleviates the guilt that accompanies assigning a detention. Ultimately, you can win them all, but you can unlock future reflection in the student who realizes that they are willingly choosing a negative outcome over a positive one. It is difficult to compete with the instant gratification of on-demand media and communications. Simply put, students don't see increased attention as an incentive to not text their boys about playing Fortnite after school but they might if it means they get a bag of chips or a sticker for their phone case.
Shaping Culture with Whole Class Rewards
If there is a collective reward, students have the incentive to regulate one another's behaviors. There is nothing better than seeing a student put their phone away because one of their peers angrily reminds them of the group goal. Although these conversations can present themselves naturally, a few well-timed conversations can empower students to take control over their space and time. Social pressure is a powerful tool. Behaviors persist if they are expected or accepted by a group. Your classroom culture can be dramatically different than that of other spaces in the school.
If a Student Says,
"It's not my problem if other people use their phones"
Consider saying:
Can we make the world a better place by caring about each other's success and well-being?
This student may miss learning that they will need to work with you in a group in the future.
Are you okay with losing learning time while I talk to other students about their phones?
"My other teachers don't care if I use my phone"
Consider saying:
Is it fair if I judge you based on the actions of other students?
The Cellphone is not and Educational Resource
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/22/08/weighing-costs-and-benefits-cellphones-schools
Many educators turn a blind eye to cellphones in the classroom, claiming that they allow the students to become more tech-savvy than previous generations, and therefore, it isn't a fight worth fighting. However, the research shows that cellphones negatively impact reaction times, performance, enjoyment of focal tasks and cognitive capacity.
Many school administrators cite cellphones as the biggest behavior problem in their schools. There is an increase of disrespect and defiance that comes from the notion that the teacher is not needed if the information is only a click away. Whatever the case may be, so much time is lost when dealing with correcting behaviors related to phone usage in the classroom.