I have recently been doing my morning duty for a couple of weeks in the gym, before classes start, where students filter in after breakfast or directly from the bus. This is middle school, grades 6,7,8. I have this morning duty for a month or so, then other team members do their duty. Boy, has THIS been an eye-opener about texting. I had NO idea how pervasive this is with students! We have 60% of students on free and reduced lunches, and yet there are about 2/3 of them sitting bent over their cell phones texting, not interacting with each other. Usually, I see groups of 2 or 3 attending to one person's cell phone. They are allowed to keep their cell phones and other devices till the bell rings and then supposed to put them in their lockers...which they don't.I've also tried an experiment of walking near them while they sit on the bleachers, and as they are texting, they hide their phones!
So...with this awakening, I've begun to discover they are also bringing their phones to my class and texting there. I took two cell phones away from students in my troublesome 8th grade class on Friday, at which a lot of rebellion erupted, with arguments toward me about
WHY they should be able to text. These 8th graders have simply been NOT THERE for me, and I'm feeling a lot of has to do with texting in class. I can't engage them at all.
I'm getting new groups this coming Wed, and I hope they will be more receptive to instruction.
Beyond this, I see this as a societal problem, one which I fear will adversely affect the young generations growing up. They are not interacting with each other, just their electronic devices.
Patty