Cell phones use by teachers

it's probably not a big deal, pretty much the first lesson any kid learns is, do as we say, not as we do

One, no one should accept or make personal phone-calls while at work, except when on a scheduled break.
(This was an issue of enormous importance at my former workplace. <sigh> Two people just could not understand that it was unacceptable for them to attempt to run a cash register and at the same time converse with their mother, children, spouse, doctor, lawyer and perhaps, Indian Chief.)

Two, in regard to your daughter, all you have to do is show up at or near to the time the practice is scheduled to be over.
(It's a method that worked for ten years with my two boys and soccer, baseball, tee-ball, basketball practices.)
Note: At no time in those ten years were both boys on the same team so there was always two practice times to manage.
NoteNote: If it started to rain, I would just go show up. If rain threatened [and this was Oklahoma, so threatening means threatening -like tornadoes] I would just show up.

We also made friends with a lot of the other parents and combined efforts to get the kiddos from place to place.
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I have no problem with your daughter taking the phone to school and waiting until classes end to use, but she shouldn't have to call you and then wait for you to get there.

Joe(She could be doing her homework)Nation

Well I'm not going to bring it up and complain - I am more venting a bit and trying to get a pulse on what is actually going on.

My kids generally do well in school and for the most part I like the teachers and feel they do a good job so unless it seems it is impacting them - I'd rather choose my fights.

No actually I think I mis -wrote - we know when practice ends - just if they end a bit early or if we get stuck in traffic. More for the unusual rather than for something on a regular basis.

Maybe she does her homework while she's waiting.

Or maybe you should take your nose out of where you put it, and place it back in your own business.

Touched a nerve there, did I?
Joe(I so seldom do. :-))Nation

It didn't bother me none - also you may not have realized her age - 12 so I can understand if you were thinking her younger and depending on where she is left and stuff the concern. At these practices there are older teams practicing immediately afterwards so it isn't like she is being left alone if we do arrive a bit late.

Good.
I think it's DrewDad who, oddly, believes I can be on this forum without expressing answers to asked questions.

Joe(That would be difficult)Nation

Linkat - I wouldn't like it if my children's teachers were stepping out of the room to make or take phone calls at work unless it were an emergency and then yes, one would call the office and if it were a true emergency, someone from the office would walk down to the classroom to deliver the message and watch the class while the teacher took the call.

But you know - this younger generation that can't be cut off and needs to be in touch through/with technology all the time- forget about phone calls, they're probably sitting there quietly texting.

I worked with a math teacher who was in his twenties and the students said that he'd hand out worksheets, put the homework assignment on the board and sit at his desk on his computer almost the entire class - after having explained the assignment for the first fifteen minutes of so- that was the extent of his 'teaching'.

The same guy was the teacher for several of the students on my caseload and I would send him e-mails requesting information as to their progress to pass on to the students' parents and I'd never receive any reply.
Finally I walked down the hall and he's sitting there staring at the computer screen. I said, 'Did you get my e-mails about Aaron?- I've sent three now and have had no reply.'
He said, 'Yeah, I did.'
And I said, 'Well, I need that information from you - as far as how he's doing in your class so I can do my job and keep his mother in the loop- had you thought about doing your job, being polite and replying?'

He was like, 'Yeah, oh sorry- I will right now' as he returned to his computer game.

I worked with another guy - who would sit at his desk in our office - there were eight of us and we all had a desk with a computer. We had caseloads of twenty kids each. We were supposed to meet with each kid once a week and write progress updates, act as liaisons between the parents and the regular teachers (this was highschool and I worked students who had learning or behavioural difficulties), write Individual Education plans, etc., etc.

Let's put it this way - the paper work was never-ending and we had one free period (fifty minutes a day) and lunchtime to do it - the rest of the school day we were in the classroom.
Well, we'd all be typing away and this guy would sit staring at the screen, going 'click' pause, 'click' pause, 'click' pause....I figured out later, he was sitting there surfing the web. He lasted one year.

Cell phones in the hands of teachers and students in a school just present productivity issues and problems.
But I guess that'd be true in any office that had the internet available to employees during work hours.

Wow, that seems unprofessional. I'm virtually certain sozlet's teachers don't do that but I'm not sure, I'll ask.

The kids ARE allowed to bring cell phones etc. into class (I know, I was surprised), they're only taken away if they actually use them in a disruptive way.

These are actually older teachers my daughters were telling me about - older than me.

She asked for advice about cell phone use by teachers. You used that as an opportunity to criticize her for making her daughter wait (which she doesn't even do, apparently).

The only positive thing I can see about teachers having cell phones on during school hours is to use them as part of the security function, especially during times where immediate notifications for class lock-downs are needed due to police actions in the neighborhood, or intruders on campus.

I could see that.

Since she mentioned both situations, I thought it might be permissible to comment on both. No?

I shall in the future, dear Drew, send you a list of threads I might potentially engage in so that you can advise me as to which parts I am allowed to offer my thoughts.

Joe(I have some thoughts about you presently.)Nation

I think Drew Dad is really complaining about you offering him advice, Joe.

We have a no usage policy for students (cell phones are supposed to stay in their lockers). Many students ignore the rule, but if a teacher spots on in a pocket, they usually take it away. The student then has to pick it up from the front office at the end of the day (I think this happens after a chat with the student's parent).

We have teachers using cell phones in class as well. I find this sort of horrifying. First of all teachers shouldn't be taking personal calls at work (for the most part). Second of all they sure as hell shouldn't be stepping out of the room for any reason during class (except in emergencies). Third, we should be models for student behavior. I do find there tends to be clusters of cell phone chatters. Grade 7 teachers don't do this, but many grade 6 teachers do.

I'd comment to the principal that your children have mentioned this to you.

Although not a part of a school community here I understand that teachers are required to text home (or the number provided) if a student is absent from the class. In addition it does tend to save a lot of time for office staff to deliver messages that to teachers by moblie phone.
Kids can be easily distracted by phobe usage whereas adults (we hope) are less distrcted.

Poor martyred Joe, who feels free to comment on Linkat's behavior but does not want anyone to call him on his faulty logic and rudeness. I'm happy for you to run things by me.