Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am quite frankly astonished that everyone responded so quickly and with such intensity and deference to the teacher. My son has commented on a particular substitute teacher who is always playing games on her phone while the students are supposed to be working on some assignment. I imagine how boring that must be, especially for a substitute teacher; but that's what she's being paid for. She is not being paid to play games on her phone.

While there may be temporary extreme occasions when a teacher, with their administrator's blessing, keeps her phone handy in case of an emergency text, this certainly should not be the norm. As some previous posters indicated, there are other ways to receive emergency messages -- and without the distraction of a cell phone by the teacher's side, which is a distraction to the teacher as well as the students.

If the student is commenting on it, then it is an obvious behavior that very well may be inappropriate at worst and a distraction at best. If this were a complaint about a student always being on their phone, I suspect there would not have been the immediate overwhelming benefit of the doubt given that perhaps the student has a parent or grandparent or even a sibling in medical crisis or awaiting an urgent message from a parent.

As parents are struggling to limit their kids' time on phones and screens, as students need to learn acceptable polite social manners and use of phones, and as even teachers struggle with students staying on task on digital devices, I find it hypocritical and inappropriate to excuse and dismiss this so readily.

My response to the OP is to absolutely, politely and innocently, relay your child's observation and express your concern. If there is a perfectly legitimate and acceptable reason, then it's not an issue and no harm done. But if it is indeed a problem, it can be addressed.

1) Teacher is owed deference. I find your suggestion that this is not the case to be absurd and disrespectful.

2) If the students are working on an assignment, who are you to say how the teacher should spend the time? Are you going to tell him to read a book instead? Is that better behavior modeling? Absolutely. But, really, this notion of the teacher walking up and down aisles while students do work isn't real life. Real life is teacher sits at front of room while students do work. What's wrong with being on phone other than the poor example? This is particularly true of a substitute.

3) If a student comments on it, nothing at all is obvious. I'm surprised at you. Do you understand the outlandish things children report about what happens in their classroom? Things get exaggerated, misunderstood, flat-out invented. A child's comment should be heard, but treated with some skepticism. Nothing is *OBVIOUS* about something reported by a child about what happens in a classroom.

Anonymous wrote:I am quite frankly astonished that everyone responded so quickly and with such intensity and deference to the teacher. My son has commented on a particular substitute teacher who is always playing games on her phone while the students are supposed to be working on some assignment. I imagine how boring that must be, especially for a substitute teacher; but that's what she's being paid for. She is not being paid to play games on her phone.

While there may be temporary extreme occasions when a teacher, with their administrator's blessing, keeps her phone handy in case of an emergency text, this certainly should not be the norm. As some previous posters indicated, there are other ways to receive emergency messages -- and without the distraction of a cell phone by the teacher's side, which is a distraction to the teacher as well as the students.

If the student is commenting on it, then it is an obvious behavior that very well may be inappropriate at worst and a distraction at best. If this were a complaint about a student always being on their phone, I suspect there would not have been the immediate overwhelming benefit of the doubt given that perhaps the student has a parent or grandparent or even a sibling in medical crisis or awaiting an urgent message from a parent.

As parents are struggling to limit their kids' time on phones and screens, as students need to learn acceptable polite social manners and use of phones, and as even teachers struggle with students staying on task on digital devices, I find it hypocritical and inappropriate to excuse and dismiss this so readily.

My response to the OP is to absolutely, politely and innocently, relay your child's observation and express your concern. If there is a perfectly legitimate and acceptable reason, then it's not an issue and no harm done. But if it is indeed a problem, it can be addressed.

Anonymous wrote:I am quite frankly astonished that everyone responded so quickly and with such intensity and deference to the teacher. My son has commented on a particular substitute teacher who is always playing games on her phone while the students are supposed to be working on some assignment. I imagine how boring that must be, especially for a substitute teacher; but that's what she's being paid for. She is not being paid to play games on her phone.

While there may be temporary extreme occasions when a teacher, with their administrator's blessing, keeps her phone handy in case of an emergency text, this certainly should not be the norm. As some previous posters indicated, there are other ways to receive emergency messages -- and without the distraction of a cell phone by the teacher's side, which is a distraction to the teacher as well as the students.

If the student is commenting on it, then it is an obvious behavior that very well may be inappropriate at worst and a distraction at best. If this were a complaint about a student always being on their phone, I suspect there would not have been the immediate overwhelming benefit of the doubt given that perhaps the student has a parent or grandparent or even a sibling in medical crisis or awaiting an urgent message from a parent.

As parents are struggling to limit their kids' time on phones and screens, as students need to learn acceptable polite social manners and use of phones, and as even teachers struggle with students staying on task on digital devices, I find it hypocritical and inappropriate to excuse and dismiss this so readily.

My response to the OP is to absolutely, politely and innocently, relay your child's observation and express your concern. If there is a perfectly legitimate and acceptable reason, then it's not an issue and no harm done. But if it is indeed a problem, it can be addressed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:curious what is acceptable for APS teachers being on their cell phones during class? My child has reported a particular teacher as "always being on their phone" - curious what is the norm/expected/accepted before i decide whether to raise it up.

You don't raise it up. It's not your job to police the teacher. Don't be "that" parent.

Anonymous wrote:I am quite frankly astonished that everyone responded so quickly and with such intensity and deference to the teacher. My son has commented on a particular substitute teacher who is always playing games on her phone while the students are supposed to be working on some assignment. I imagine how boring that must be, especially for a substitute teacher; but that's what she's being paid for. She is not being paid to play games on her phone.

While there may be temporary extreme occasions when a teacher, with their administrator's blessing, keeps her phone handy in case of an emergency text, this certainly should not be the norm. As some previous posters indicated, there are other ways to receive emergency messages -- and without the distraction of a cell phone by the teacher's side, which is a distraction to the teacher as well as the students.

If the student is commenting on it, then it is an obvious behavior that very well may be inappropriate at worst and a distraction at best. If this were a complaint about a student always being on their phone, I suspect there would not have been the immediate overwhelming benefit of the doubt given that perhaps the student has a parent or grandparent or even a sibling in medical crisis or awaiting an urgent message from a parent.

As parents are struggling to limit their kids' time on phones and screens, as students need to learn acceptable polite social manners and use of phones, and as even teachers struggle with students staying on task on digital devices, I find it hypocritical and inappropriate to excuse and dismiss this so readily.

My response to the OP is to absolutely, politely and innocently, relay your child's observation and express your concern. If there is a perfectly legitimate and acceptable reason, then it's not an issue and no harm done. But if it is indeed a problem, it can be addressed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My son's third grade teacher was on her phone a lot for a little while. It turned out her mother was in hospice and died. I'd leave it alone. there is probably a good reason.


+100

Going through something similar and my phone does not leave my side.

+1
I am a teacher and do not have a single moment to take a personal call during the day, much less go to the bathroom. I am having a family situation and am getting a lot of texts lately. I am doing my best to handle it when students are not there, but that's pretty tough to do.

If you’re having a family emergency, take some days off and let a professional caring sub teach my kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:curious what is acceptable for APS teachers being on their cell phones during class? My child has reported a particular teacher as "always being on their phone" - curious what is the norm/expected/accepted before i decide whether to raise it up.

You don't raise it up. It's not your job to police the teacher. Don't be "that" parent.[/quote

It is the job of the teacher to pay attention to her students (and teach!) in the class, the hallways and the playground. She has enough time to chat with ghet fam while her students are in specials or the cafeteria.