Cell phones use by teachers

Teachers are professional employees. I wish they were treated as such.

I am able to take a personal phone call at my engineering job. Of course I don't do this too often, but I have taken an important call from my wife when my boss was at my desk (I quickly told my wife that I would call back and explained to my boss that it was important I get back quickly). It is a matter of understanding.

I am much more productive as an employee when I have some flexibility and respect in my workplace.

Normally I would - but there is a good chance we will not be going back to this school - if we sell our place and move to one of the 3 towns we have selected, we have decided for public schools.

And I really like my girls teachers. I've already reported one thing that made me unhappy and I tried to word it as nicely as possible with an "out" for the teacher. It did seem to fluster the poor teacher and then to over compensate as a result.

My thought is more they are in charge of a class where their attention while in the classroom should be on the students. A doctor is also a professional, but while he is with me as a patient, I would not expect him to take a call on his cell and then say excuse me and walk out in the hall to talk.

But during breaks, and in between patients/classes, a different story.

My wife ditched a doctor who texted her nanny during the exam.

What would be the difference for a doctor who left you to have some small test performed to see another patient, or to call a lab to find out the results of a test or call the hospital to check on another patient.

Now if he stepped out to talk to his broker or arrange a dinner date, I could see that being a problem.

I wouldn't expect my doctor to step out to speak with another patient. During my appointment - it is my appointment. I've only had my doctor step out, when I put my clothes back on or for her to get me something.

I guess I'm not clear how you have it worked out or how it is worked out with your doctor. I thought that doctors routinely had four or five patients on the go at one time, sitting in different examination rooms of course.

Not the way my doctor works. I may be getting "prepped" ie an assistant taking blood pressure, weight and such while visiting with some one else, but onces she steps into visiting me, she would have been done with the other patient and have my full attention for the 15 minute visit or so. And while visiting with me, another patient is most likely getting their initial prep stuff before she says good bye to me. The only time she leaves if usually when I get dressed again and then she comes back within a couple of minutes with whatever crap I need from her - written instructions or something.

The only time a doctor (including for my kids) may have left for a longer period is if there is some sort of quick test being done and we are waiting for a result - like a quick test for strep. Then she may have visited with another - but this is usually the "emergency" type of visit and not a normal office appointment.

Don't joke though about being in the same examining room - there is a new trend whereas for mild illnesses and for some other type of appointments doctors are proposing this...

http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_id=100001647
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/11/30/the_doctor_will_see_all_of_you_now/

My doctors have always done what yours does, Linkat - go out for the sake of modesty, although i've never figured out WHY since they've seen every part of you already... and if my doctor ever took a personal phone call/text, or kept popping in and out, or tried that group thing, he/she'd be toast.

They're not making enough money as it is? 15 minute or less visits at how much a pop? I'm sorry, don't try to make more by having 10 - 20 patients together for 1/2 hour... how thorough do you think the doc can be with each patient? What if you have more than one particular medical complaint? What if you don't want to discuss your pregnancy hemorrhoid in front of 14 other women? No, that wouldn't be for me.

Edit: oh yeah, and I don't agree that administrators, family, friends, fellow teachers should be interrupting the teaching whatsoever. There's a lot less being taught nowadays anyway what with all these professional days that we don't need even less due to interruptions. I think it's disrespectful to the students and the parents.

Is there something wrong with the way it's always been done?

Would it also be okay to interrupt business meetings that way? What if everyone was allowed texts/calls during their working hours? That's ridiculous. I know lots of people do take personal calls at work, but if they job situation permits it, no problem, but if, for example, nurses/doctors in the OR suddenly started taking calls, there'd be chaos.

Seems to be the same as covering your body with a slim piece of paper gown - I mean they already have you up in the sturrups, legs spread open for all the world to see - what the h*ll type of coverage is the paper gown supposed to cover? Your knees?

I know, I've always thought it was funny.

Yeah, and would it kill them to have a cheap fake fleece blanket lying around in the 64°F examination room?

Joe(G-g-g-good morning, D-d-d-doctor)Nation

Not to mention they never warm the speculum (unless it's a female dr)

Do I have to spell it out for you? Doctors don't care about modesty. They are stepping out to check their messages and make a quick call.

All I am asking for is a little respect for teachers here. The teacher bashing in the US, at a time when so many people claim to care about education, is maddening.

Believe me, a classroom teachers job is more difficult than your job (and arguably more important and likely for a lower paycheck).

In my current job there are very few times that I can't make an important personal phone call. Meetings last an hour, and even so on occasion I would be able to excuse myself without much ado (and I am confident that people would trust that it was important).

It is not unusual for teachers to be in the classroom for three hours at a time.

Doctors are able to step out for a moment between patients (and tell me you haven't waited for 10-20 minutes after you have had more than enough time to put on those little smock thingies). You cut Doctor's a lot of slack because we regard them as professionals doing an important job.

I am only suggesting that teachers should be regarded the same way.

Back in uni or what I call college, I worked after school at an internist's office, including some months of full time. He was high up with reverence locally. I could rattle off movie star patients, though there weren't all that many - but that was the also the place I did my first ekg - on on nun. I about died. But I did many others since then, learned a lot about breasts and some about ekg's. (blinks).

So, this guy tended to work around the clock and maybe **** around the clock as he had a huge number of children. I'll say twelve but I'm not sure of the number, all these years later. Might have been more.
His wife died in childbirth. He married again and had at least one other child.

So, anyway, he tended to have several patients in the hospital on any given day and saw them usually twice a day, very early morning and at night.
I was then your routine medical assistant, handling the front desk and doing varied chores. But - if the hospital called, we would interrupt him no matter what patient.

oh boo hoo... welcome to the real world.

Possibly because it would be impolite and an awkward position to watch, or even be in the same room while a person undresses.

You obviously haven't given birth to several children!