50. Decoding How Cell Phones Shape Student Behavior

In this episode of The Language of Behavior, Joshua Stamper and Charle Peck tackle one of the most triggering topics in schools today: student cell phones. Starting with the question “How do cell phones influence student behavior?”, they break down how constant notifications, social media, and late-night scrolling rewire reward pathways, ramp up impulsivity, and strain attention, often showing up as behavior challenges in the classroom.​

Instead of stopping at “cell phones are the problem,” Joshua and Charle walk through their three-part framework, environment, root cause, and intentional response, to help educators move from constant power struggles to structured, realistic use. They share concrete ideas like scheduled cell phone breaks, color-coded norms for when phones are on or off, and student-created agreements that turn devices into tools for reminders, research, and self-regulation rather than pure escape.​

They also dig into the mental health side of 24/7 connectivity, including bullying, sleep disruption, and social pressure, and why banning phones without teaching boundaries may only push students to get sneakier. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize teaching students how their brains work, building intrinsic motivation to “protect their attention,” and advocating for clear, consistent school-wide policies that make classrooms more humane and manageable for both students and staff.

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About Charle Peck:

Charle Peck is the co-creator of Thriving School Community, a revolutionary program designed for schools to improve mental health. She holds an MS in Education and an MS in Social Work as a 20+ year veteran in education (K-12). As a global keynote speaker, she delivers powerful messages of hope to educators and facilitates meaningful professional development. Charle successfully equips school staff with practical tools to mitigate teacher burnout and the youth mental health crisis providing relief to schools all across the country. Her unique lens as a high school teacher turned clinical therapist specializing in trauma makes her stories relevant and captivating to educators struggling in today’s system. You can purchase her book “Improving School Mental Health: The Thriving School Community Solution” on Amazon and connect with her on X @CharlePeck.

Follow Charle Peck:

• Website: www.ThrivingEducator.org
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharlePeck
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlepeckconsulting?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlepeck/
• Other: [e-mail]
• Podcast: Thriving Educator
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Improving-School-Mental-Health-Community/dp/B0BTS3MN2P?crid=EIKAGWZ4V006&keywords=charle+peck&qid=1705780803&sprefix=charle+peck%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=aspirewebsite-20&linkId=6456f4f1bc2440be71d094a5d14656a4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

About Joshua Stamper:

Joshua Stamper is the Director of Innovation for the Teach Better Team, a multifaceted role that encompasses his talents as an author, podcaster, leadership coach, and education keynote speaker. With a rich background as a middle school administrator, classroom art educator, and athletic coach, Joshua brings a wealth of experience to his work in education.

Joshua is passionate about implementing trauma-responsive techniques, exploring alternative student discipline methods, and promoting healthy leadership habits. He is deeply committed to enhancing leadership capacity through self-care practices, ensuring that educators...