Teachers answering their cell phones during class

[Minnie*J*]

I do not think a teacher should be talking on the cell phone during class. I sub and I keep my phone in my pocket on silent. That way, I know if I get a call. I then check and return the call during a break. It is unprofessional to chat to friends on the phone during class. I agree with the previous poster who compared it to a doctor answering the cell phone during the office visit.

I don't know how I would handle if my son's teacher was chatting during class. I think it would be nice to ask the teacher first. But honestly, does anyone really think that the teacher would say to the parent, "Yes, I talk to my friends every day while your child is in my class." OP - I think it was ok that you contacted the principal. If the teacher just answered one time for an emergency call, she can tell the principal that and all will be fine. If she answering personal calls to chat during class, she now knows that the administration may be watching for this. I guess it also depends on the relationship the OP has with her son's teacher.

 

[Minnie*J*]

I often read teachers/parents here who say that you can't believe what your child is saying about being in school and about how only 1/2 of it is true, etc....

If you don't believe what your child says, how do you know if something inappropriate is going on in school. Do you think the teachers/staff are going to tell you? I understand that a child's perception is not always correct, but it is based on something. I have a elementary age child and am a substitute teacher (certified to teach in my state). Some of the things I have seen teachers do in different elementary schools make me cringe. I am NOT saying that all teachers do inappropriate things so there is no need to blast me for that one But I have seen teachers get in a child's face and scream at them, I have seen teachers belittle and bully students in front of the rest of the class, I have seen teachers grab students roughly and yank or push them to where they want to be, I have seen a special ed teacher in a poor school where most kids are on free lunch withhold lunch as a punishment for not performing to her expectations (she did this regularly during my long term position), and I have seen teachers talk and text on their phones during times they had students. **** DISCLAIMER - the majority teachers I have seen are wonderful educators who care about their students and their education, but there are some bad apples out there and if you don't listen to your kids who is going to fix that. (I don't say anything because I have no contract and I will be no longer welcome in the school and the administration wouldn't do anything because a sub complained)

 

[castleview]

I am in high school and my teachers talk on their phone occasionally and I know their ringtone too!
Some of them even text message. It annoys me that us students can't use our phones at all yet teachers can sit there and talk all day on them? It's a double standard to me.

If the teacher is socially taking calls when she is supposed to be teaching, I have a huge problem with that. If she texts while you're doing an assignment quietly, I don't see a problem...unless it gets excessive.

However, I don't think it's a double standard if teachers can use cell phones and students can't. They are adults; you are not.

DH is a science teacher and uses his Iphone for many organizational reasons and is even looking into using some of the apps for his class. His motto is that schools need to stop fighting technology and start using it to their advantage. If they fight it, the kids will only get better with technology while the adults get more ignorant. BTW, he only makes/takes calls when he's on break.

OP, I understand your concerns. But emailing the administrator without talking with the teacher is only going to result in a silly blanket memo telling all teachers to never use their cell phones.

 

[Ember]

I don't think it's ok under any circumstances. No matter what job you have you're being paid to do a job, not talk on a cell phone. If it is a true emergency then people that know her could call the school and they could get the message to her or let her know that she has an urgent call.

Especially with that young of a class the teacher's attention needs to be wholly devoted to her students. She has breaks during which she can use her phone.

Well, my cell is on during class time. My mother has terminal cancer and there needs to be a line of communication at all times. There was an incident a while ago where she passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital. She was too disoriented and confused to call 911, but she's been calling my cell for years and she remembered that number. I wasn't teaching at that time, but it was enough of a reason for me to get permission to keep my cell on in the classroom. My cell is also the number that is listed as an emergency contact with all our nurses and doctors, as well as with the hospital.

Thus far this year, it hasn't rung once, but you can bet that if it did, I would be answering it - lessons and annoyed parents be darned. There are some things that are more important. A math lesson can be retaught.

 

[Ember]

I never understood the whole, "go tattle to the principal" attitude that runs rampant today.

That's because it doesn't matter what the issue is anymore, the correct response is to go to the highest level possible. Forget clarifying the situation, or finding out what actually happened... Go right to the top! I have yet to see a thread with a question about teaching that doesn't involved the answer, "go the the principal!!"

 

[Shoshana]

I'm a college professor. Believe it or not, I have had students receive and answer texts when we're in one-on-one meetings together, I have had students attempt to wear ear buds during exams, and, of course, cell phones have rung during class. Once, the same phone rang three separate times during a final exam (the student was too embarassed to fish it out of his backpack to silence it). I have a "turn it off" policy on the syllabus. If a student's phone rings, I invite them to leave the class room to take their call in private. And they are told to ask me to leave if my phone inadvertently rings. I find it to be disruptive, rude, and unprofessional - whether its student or teacher. In the case of true emergencies, keep the phone on vibrate in a pocket and leave the classroom.

 

[MELSMICE]

There is a teacher and an assistant team at our school that uses their phones to text back and forth about things while one is on the playground and one is in the classroom. I think that looks very unprofessional, even if it relates to class. Parents just watching wouldn't stop and ask what they were doing. They would run right to the principal.

That's the thing........people jump to conclusions without knowing the facts.

I think in the OP's case, I would have done more investigation before relying 100% on the words of a first grader (& I have always been one to believe what my kids say, but I also always double check things). It's best to get the facts from the party involved before going over their heads.

Example: Years ago a friends' 6 year old daughter got off the bus with a huge hold in her tights & was crying hysterically. The mom asked her what had happened. She said that "Susie" had been poking her with a sharp toothpick on the ride home & put the hole in her tights. She continued how "Susie" was really threatening her on the bus.

My friend called me & was frantic that "her child could have been injured, the toothpick could have broken off in her leg, where was the bus driver during all this........." blah, blah, blah. I didn't think much of it but she insisted she was going to call the principal.

She called the principal. "Susie", Susie's mom, my friend & her DD all met with the principal the following day. Imagine my friend's embarrassment when the truth came out that her DD had actually snagged her tights on a pencil in class, creating a huge hole. The little girl was afraid to tell her mom that she ripped her new pair of tights.

Always check the facts before jumping to conclusions.

 

[tuckerkeys]

Op here.

Well I've heard back from my principal. Seems as if this problem has been going on with most of the school, and I am not the first to say anything.

It is written into the teachers contracts that cell phone usage is NOT to be done during school TEACHING time. Lunch breaks are fine, otherwise they recommend them to be set on silent or off or to not bring them in at all.

What is going on is that the teachers are in contract negotiations now with the school board and are basically not adhering to their current contract which is up in April 2010. All because they are angry about their medical co-pays going from $0 to $2 a dr visit. So, it seems as if some are revolting and doing as they wish with certain things, cell phone usage being one of them...

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I think taking repeated personal calls should result in suspension without pay. Very few calls are true emergencies that need to be addressed immediately.

 

[leighe]

I agree- the no cell phone rule should apply not only to students but to teachers as well!! My daughters 3rd grade teacher would call his friends on the phone and then pass the phone around the classroom for hte kids to say hi or wish them a happy birthday!! Sorry but my taxes pay you to teach, not to yak on the phone during class time.

Actually, you don't pay anybody to teach. The state of New York does.

However - that is totally inappropriate of your daughter's teacher!

 

[castleview]

Op here.



What is going on is that the teachers are in contract negotiations now with the school board and are basically not adhering to their current contract which is up in April 2010. All because they are angry about their medical co-pays going from $0 to $2 a dr visit. So, it seems as if some are revolting and doing as they wish with certain things, cell phone usage being one of them...

Hmmm. I know a lot of teachers that go through lousy contract negotiations and as disgruntled as they can get, they don't let the students suffer because of it. Was this the principal's answer? If so, that's a pretty lame excuse to offer if she can't get her teachers to comply with the rules. I'm a little skeptical.

 

[Kae]

Op here.

Well I've heard back from my principal. Seems as if this problem has been going on with most of the school, and I am not the first to say anything.

It is written into the teachers contracts that cell phone usage is NOT to be done during school TEACHING time. Lunch breaks are fine, otherwise they recommend them to be set on silent or off or to not bring them in at all.

What is going on is that the teachers are in contract negotiations now with the school board and are basically not adhering to their current contract which is up in April 2010. All because they are angry about their medical co-pays going from $0 to $2 a dr visit. So, it seems as if some are revolting and doing as they wish with certain things, cell phone usage being one of them...

Sorry but that is a load of you know what. I do not think the union would be happy about this either. I think your principal need to address the issue, not pass on that excuse.

Kae

 

[happygirl]

Op here.

Well I've heard back from my principal. Seems as if this problem has been going on with most of the school, and I am not the first to say anything.

It is written into the teachers contracts that cell phone usage is NOT to be done during school TEACHING time. Lunch breaks are fine, otherwise they recommend them to be set on silent or off or to not bring them in at all.

What is going on is that the teachers are in contract negotiations now with the school board and are basically not adhering to their current contract which is up in April 2010. All because they are angry about their medical co-pays going from $0 to $2 a dr visit. So, it seems as if some are revolting and doing as they wish with certain things, cell phone usage being one of them...

If that is really true which I don't believe, The principal had no right to tell you any of that. I also can't see a teacher being mad and trying to get revenge by using the cell phones to get back at the school

 

[tuckerkeys]

Yup. There's a little bit of ******* going on at the school now......

This is what I was told. I was also told a few other things happening b/c of negotiations not going the way they want. This is a small system. nothing is sacred I guess? Parents are not happy from what I have been told...

 

[MM27]

I often read teachers/parents here who say that you can't believe what your child is saying about being in school and about how only 1/2 of it is true, etc....

If you don't believe what your child says, how do you know if something inappropriate is going on in school. Do you think the teachers/staff are going to tell you? I understand that a child's perception is not always correct, but it is based on something.

I don't think people are saying not to believe the child, but many people jump at the chance to contact the principal or superintendent right away for everything without even talking to the teacher first and hearing their side of the story. I'm not just talking about phone issues either. It's great to believe your child, but understand that what they say is not always what really happened.

It's a common courtesy.

 

[C&G'sMama]

Huge problem with it. If there is an emergency a brother, sister, mom, dad child etc can call the school and get in touch with them.

THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE YOUR CELL PHONE ON IN CLASS, STUDENT OR TEACHER, unless someone is bleeding out their eyeballs as I would say to my own kids.

 

[Kae]

Yup. There's a little bit of ******* going on at the school now......

This is what I was told. I was also told a few other things happening b/c of negotiations not going the way they want. This is a small system. nothing is sacred I guess? Parents are not happy from what I have been told...

Then I would think that they are breaking the contract that they have at this time & they could be terminated. If this is the case I would call the School Corp office, the principal is just being lazy, they are the ones who make sure the contract is followed at their school it is part of their job.

Kae

 

[MELSMICE]

Yup. There's a little bit of ******* going on at the school now......

This is what I was told. I was also told a few other things happening b/c of negotiations not going the way they want. This is a small system. nothing is sacred I guess? Parents are not happy from what I have been told...

Are these private negotiations or open negotiations for the public'/parents to be part of also? If they are private, it is really not the principal's place to relay this information to parents & there are more issues than cell phones in the classroom that I would be concerned about.