[quote=“Whole Lotta Lotta”]
Not to criticize, but why are they always looking at their watches? They shouldn’t be chomping at the bit to go home.[/quote]
They’re kids and I do more than play games with them.
[quote=“Abacus”][quote=“Whole Lotta Lotta”]
Not to criticize, but why are they always looking at their watches? They shouldn’t be chomping at the bit to go home.[/quote]
They’re kids and I do more than play games with them.[/quote]
OK. That explains it. 
I can’t believe that “Don’t bring your cell phone into the classroom” wasn’t an option in the poll and that hardly anyone mentioned that as an option. Has society really gotten to that point where we feel we’re all slaves to these devices?
The bottom line is that a teacher should just simply never bring their phone into the classroom. Not turned off. Not on silent. Not on vibrate. Just don’t bring it in. And if for some reason (no storage area for teacher, worried about theft, etc) it must be brought in, the teacher should make damn sure that it doesn’t ring or vibrate.
Being surprised that a manager mentioned that your phone rang in class… well your surprise is what’s really the surprise.
I use it during class to call the kids that do not pay attention.
[quote=“Eros75”]I can’t believe that “Don’t bring your cell phone into the classroom” wasn’t an option in the poll and that hardly anyone mentioned that as an option. Has society really gotten to that point where we feel we’re all slaves to these devices?
The bottom line is that a teacher should just simply never bring their phone into the classroom. Not turned off. Not on silent. Not on vibrate. Just don’t bring it in. And if for some reason (no storage area for teacher, worried about theft, etc) it must be brought in, the teacher should make damn sure that it doesn’t ring or vibrate.
Being surprised that a manager mentioned that your phone rang in class… well your surprise is what’s really the surprise.[/quote]
Eros. You make some good points. However, I don’t see what the problem would be with having it in the class, if it is completely turned off. I have been to the doctor’s office here and have seen they have theirs in the office and I wasn’t offended.
A doctor having his phone in sight, heck even answering a call, is different. Let’s not forget that teachers are in fact employees of the students and if they use the phone in class they are wasting the employers’ money. Would a teacher answer a call in class and then have the students stay late and ‘make up’ the time? Of course not. A doctor taking a call might be annoying but he would still look after you (presumably with the same effort and time spent) after he was done. And let’s be honest, a doctor might be waiting to hear about something far more important than the average teacher. Finally, whether we like it or not, we’re conditioned to wait for doctors and be almost grateful for their time and service. Those conditions don’t exist for teachers.
And for sake of argument, let’s just say that your example does compare well with teachers, does that make it right?
How about going into 7-Eleven and waiting for the clerk to ring up your purchase because there’s a phone call? Or how about the waiter making you wait while he checks/sends a text? I know these examples don’t jive exactly with teachers’ situations (just like your example of a doctor doesn’t) but it should show how annoying having access to phones is for those paying your salary.
Now, of course, having the phone around and using it are two different things. But I have teachers ‘forgetting’ to turn it off. I’ve heard phones vibrating. And then there’s the temptation. I don’t let teachers have beer in class either, whether or not they’re drinking it. 
I agree. Suggesting one shouldn’t even take a phone into a classroom is overkill. I don’t see the difference between leaving your phone outside the classroom or having it in your bag, set to silent. My main income is from my uni classes and the 50 students in the class wouldn’t even know that I have my phone present under the counter. But it’s good to have it there to check during breaks with regards to messages or missed calls from other jobs or on the off-chance of friends in emergencies.
Because I do always turn my phone to silent mode and would never answer a call during a class, what has pissed me off on occasion, however, is when I have called friends and they have told me in either bewildered, flabbergasted, or slightly irritated tones that they were teaching or busy. Wankers! If you don’t want to have to answer calls when teaching, switch your phone off or set it to vibrate. Don’t get pissy with me. I just think that neither teachers nor students should be doing anything with cellphones during lessons (except under the direst circumstances - family members undergoing operations, for example - and then, the teacher or students could explain the situation at the start of class), except for in the case of private students. As a teacher I wouldn’t touch my phone, but there is no reason I would be insulted if my individual student took a call from her husband or her kids. It’s her time and money and she wouldn’t be disturbing any other students.
A doctor having his phone in sight, heck even answering a call, is different. Let’s not forget that teachers are in fact employees of the students and if they use the phone in class they are wasting the employers’ money. Would a teacher answer a call in class and then have the students stay late and ‘make up’ the time? Of course not. A doctor taking a call might be annoying but he would still look after you (presumably with the same effort and time spent) after he was done. And let’s be honest, a doctor might be waiting to hear about something far more important than the average teacher. Finally, whether we like it or not, we’re conditioned to wait for doctors and be almost grateful for their time and service. Those conditions don’t exist for teachers.
And for sake of argument, let’s just say that your example does compare well with teachers, does that make it right?
How about going into 7-Eleven and waiting for the clerk to ring up your purchase because there’s a phone call? Or how about the waiter making you wait while he checks/sends a text? I know these examples don’t jive exactly with teachers’ situations (just like your example of a doctor doesn’t) but it should show how annoying having access to phones is for those paying your salary.
Now, of course, having the phone around and using it are two different things. But I have teachers ‘forgetting’ to turn it off. I’ve heard phones vibrating. And then there’s the temptation. I don’t let teachers have beer in class either, whether or not they’re drinking it. [/quote]
Don’t forget that a doctor is on call, 24/7, because of emergencies…life threatening emergencies.
To compare a doctor’s cellphone with a teacher’s cellphone is absolutely ridiculous.
Not directed at you Eros75…you made a good point.
[quote=“ThreadKiller”]
Because I do always turn my phone to silent mode and would never answer a call during a class, what has pissed me off on occasion, however, is when I have called friends and they have told me in either bewildered, flabbergasted, or slightly irritated tones that they were teaching or busy. Wankers! If you don’t want to have to answer calls when teaching, switch your phone off or set it to vibrate. Don’t get pissy with me.[/quote]
QFT. How should I be aware of a mate’s teaching schedule?
It’s not difficult. Turn your cellphone off before class and ask the students to put their phones on vibrate. If they receive a call they can leave the classroom and take it.
What’s the problem?
Shit, I was in a Math class in college where a teacher did that, went outside and talked for a good ten minutes. She was very unprofessional though, I got all 80%+ on all her tests and quizzes, though admittedly I only did about half the homework but that was only supposed to be 15% of the grade anyway, and then I felt like I did great on the final exam, but when I got my final grade it was a D so I had to retake the course. The unprofessional part though is that she never posted the final exam grades (or any of the grades) online like she was supposed to, so I never found out why I got a bad grade, did I bomb the test? Did I miss a test? Did she mark me absent when I wasn’t by accident, bringing down my grade? I’ll never know, and when I tried to email her it said it was undeliverable, so either she got fired or she put the wrong email on the syllabus.
But the point is, EFL isn’t the only place where teachers can be unprofessional . (and really the answering the phone then leaving class for 10 minutes was the real unprofessional part, especially since she treated us all like highschoolers and threatened to take our phones when she saw someone texting under their desks)
Shit, I was in a Math class in college where a teacher did that, went outside and talked for a good ten minutes. She was very unprofessional though, I got all 80%+ on all her tests and quizzes, though admittedly I only did about half the homework but that was only supposed to be 15% of the grade anyway, and then I felt like I did great on the final exam, but when I got my final grade it was a D so I had to retake the course. The unprofessional part though is that she never posted the final exam grades (or any of the grades) online like she was supposed to, so I never found out why I got a bad grade, did I bomb the test? Did I miss a test? Did she mark me absent when I wasn’t by accident, bringing down my grade? I’ll never know, and when I tried to email her it said it was undeliverable, so either she got fired or she put the wrong email on the syllabus.
But the point is, EFL isn’t the only place where teachers can be unprofessional . (and really the answering the phone then leaving class for 10 minutes was the real unprofessional part, especially since she treated us all like highschoolers and threatened to take our phones when she saw someone texting under their desks)[/quote]
She was so unprofessional that I’ll bet she got fired :snooty: .
Apologies if someone has already made this (surely obvious?) point before. I scanned through but might have missed it.
It may be administratively useful/necessary for the teacher to be contactable.
Case in point. My old phone’s mike bust (apparently) and it was (allegedly) not possible to fix it, but I wasn’t in any hurry to replace it because I strongly suspected that a new one would piss me off.
People could still get me by text, but the boss considered that this was “too difficult”, and eventually I caved in to pressure and got another one (which REALLY pisses me off).
Off course they can check my timetable and avoid calling in classtime, but they don’t always.
wow, a post about cell phone edict in the classroom.
look at it as if your job depended on you paying attention. even if your not.
[quote=“SFOD-D”]wow, a post about cell phone edict in the classroom.
look at it as if your job depended on you paying attention. even if your not.[/quote]
And your post, in terms of punctuation, grammar, and logic, is about as useful as a soggy pizza. Give me my money back or I’ll call the police.
[quote=“Charlie Phillips”][quote=“SFOD-D”]wow, a post about cell phone edict in the classroom.
look at it as if your job depended on you paying attention. even if your not.[/quote]
And your post, in terms of punctuation, grammar, and logic, is about as useful as a soggy pizza. Give me my money back or I’ll call the police.[/quote]
allrighty than Chucky, and I be waiting right here for them to show up, cuz you aint getting no money back. its going to my beer fund.
Sometimes a smartphone is actually quite useful if the kids do not understand a word. Sometimes I will use the translate function or get a picture to show them.