Teacher doing online shopping during lessons

It is common and accepted practice for teachers to get on with work whilst students are 'on task'. As pupils get older, they may spend increasing chunks of time on a task, such as working on a piece of research, working through a last exam question etc - if the lesson is a double especially, an individual task could easily take 30-45 minutes. A teacher might walk round a bit and would certainly answer questions raised, but could reasonably get on with other tasks - these could include some marking, preparation, admin on-line etc. They would be perfectly able to stop and walk round or answer questions as raised.

Of course it depends on the school. In some schools pupils might need someone constantly policing them to keep them working, but in many schools pupils will make steady progress with a structured task for significant periods - and they need to learn to do this - it is a key skill. A worksheet might not just be a list of questions to be answered in a book (although there is a place for this amongst other tasks) but could layout a highly complex task involving several stages,moor an individual or groups.

I have no idea if the teacher was shopping, but do know it is reasonable for teachers to be doing a range of things in a lesson and constant interaction with pupils for the full lesson isn't good for the children. If your query is about the amount of worksheets,perhaps look in the ex book and see the types of work or ask for a more thorough explanation of what has happened throughout several lessons, as children sometimes turn what happened in 1 lesson to 'always'.

You may decide to raise a query (always better than a complaint when you are not in full receipt of information) or not, but do appreciate that teachers asking children to get on with a task is perfectly normal and necessary for their learning.

You should know on mumsnet teachers are above criticism not in my experience!

As a teacher I would say, if this is happening regularly andthe students are not getting decent feedback on their learning or making good progress then this would not be tolerated in my state school and the teacher would be facing competency.

So I would agree that you should enquire about it the school to put you at ease about it. I agree with pp who said teens can over state the truth, so approach with an open mind and carefully!

Vast difference between looking at Amazon and stationery sites, and online clothes shopping though.

Bloody hell, people need to stop being so snarky with the OP.

I'm the daughter of a teacher and work as a TA myself. I also have 3 children. As in any profession there will be people who are crap at their job or who couldn't care less.

My own DD is in Y8 and her class went through three maths teachers last year. The second one was pulled over from IT (not his fault) and was meant to be temporary. He was there for a term and DD's confidence and levels nosedived. He was dismissive when she asked for help and spent a lot of time on his mobile - including playing games during tests. I didn't complain and waited it out. They eventually appointed a new teacher and things righted themselves. I wish I had complained though. Why should DD's education suffer?

I had my retribution though when the teacher turned up at my school to interview for the Headship and didn't make it past the first round of interviews. Obviously his crapness was obvious there too

Wow! I would firstly, as a teacher, be cross if I thought students were looking at my computer screen ,unless. I was showing it to them. I might be typing an email about another student, or something. Not good. I shop online during lessons - today, I ordered a film that I would be using in class, paying for it with my own money. If. A student had seen my screen, I would have looked like I was shopping on Amazon- I was! But they were doing a controlled assessment, I couldn't offer them help so I was getting on with my own work.

That doesn't make me a bad teacher. Yesterday, I ordered stationery online....for school. Last week, I was on yellow moon ordering craft things.... For school. I don't feel I should ever have to justify that. By all means complain of you feel the standard of work is not appropriate/ stretching etc or. Progress is not being made, but please check first.

I thought one of the benefits of private education people talk about was being able to hold teachers to account? So I would want to know why lessons were consisting of worksheets only. Go carefully though, teenagers are prone to exaggeration...............

Teachers get 10% PPA time. For me that is three hours a week.
I teach 150 different children as I teach a core subject.
Each book, each two week cycle takes 15 minutes to mark properly. Assessments and GCSE papers longer on average an extra 8 hours a week. 12 hours per week.
I teach 25 lessons. That takes on average 15 minutes to plan per lesson (some a lot longer). That's anput 4/5 hours a week.
I also have paper work, target setting, meetings, parental contact, clubs etc.

So yes sometimes when pupils are working I will do some lesson planning, testing resources etc. it is the best way of spending my time.

My Dd 13 mentioned that she saw a supply teacher on that 'Candy Crush. thing on her phone. There was politician recently that was seen on Candy Crush The thing is, people are being paid to do a job, not to do their online browsing, shopping or gaming. It is unprofessional to be doing this...how can you justify it?

You should know on mumsnet teachers are above criticism.

Sorry. I know the vast majority of teachers out there work hard and do more than they are paid for. The same as midwives, doctors, police, firefighters etc. doesn't mean that there aren't any bad ones out there. And if it was part of lesson planning he'll be able to defend himself won't he?

Telling tales because the teacher is doing his online shopping when he's supposed to be doing the job he's paid to do?

Let's hope your DD tells tales to her teacher about what happens at home as well.

My DD's registration tutor has one session marked out a week for them to read, during which she does her nails and cuts her split ends!! You could argue reading is something important and should be encouraged, but I half wonder if it's so she can chill out and pamper herself!

I have to agree and say that lesson planning shouldn't be carried out during another lesson. perhaps in exceptional circumstances such as when the class has a test and they are still observing the class, but not during a worksheet lesson. Surely standard procedure for this is for the teacher to walk around and check how pupils are getting on and keep an eye on them?

I'm not criticising teachers before I get jumped on, but from talking to senior school teachers that teach my sons, they do have scheduled 'free' lessons and aren't teaching all day every day. I'm an accountant and I have scheduled diary slots for preparation in between meetings with clients and managers, I wouldn't be preparing for another meeting in a meeting or ordering new knickers on m&s for click and collect.

sorry posted twice - I blame the computer it has a mind of its own!!!

I don't think I would be happy with my DC teachers lesson planning/shopping whilst supposedly teaching them, I thought teachers had spare periods during the day when this could be carried out. If a teacher has their head stuck in a computer, would they notice a quieter child that may need assistance with the worksheet or others that may be taking the opportunity to have a chat etc. I wouldn't object though in test situations as a teacher shouldn't be giving assistance and is there to ensure the test runs smoothly.

I don't think I would be happy with my DC teachers lesson planning/shopping whilst supposedly teaching them, I thought teachers had spare periods during the day when this could be carried out. If a teacher has their head stuck in a computer, would they notice a quieter child that may need assistance with the worksheet or others that may be taking the opportunity to have a chat etc. I wouldn't object though in test situations as a teacher shouldn't be giving assistance and is there to ensure the test runs smoothly.

Yes, raise this with the school. You don't have to complain as such - you simply raise it with them ie "I am concerned because DD has informed me that Mr X is looking at shopping sites during lessons. Can you tell me what the school policy re this is" (or words to that effect) Don't even hesitate. He's paid to teach, not to shop, and only by a massive stretch of the imagination could shopping with M&S online be linked to planning geography lesson plans.

I definitely agree with the concept of a "complaint quota".

After 8 years at DD's school I am an active member of a parent group of close friends which agrees about issues that need tackling with the school's management. We take turns making the complaints so that none of us get scapegoated or labelled as troublemakers/whistleblowers (and ignored) as has happened to some parents.

Oh fgs. Since when do parents have to think of their "complaint quota"? I'm sure the OP wasn't planning on going in all guns blazing, just more of a 'is this ok? Because the girls in the class aren't getting it and are talking negatively about the teacher'. Y'know, this whole education partnership thing?

This teacher may not be very good and may be coasting along because everyone is too worried about having 'egg on their face'. I certainly had a teacher like that (but he was also the hockey coach so was allowed to poddle along).

remember though, when deciding if to complain or not, whether this will be the most serious thing you have to raise this year.
IMO its best to keep your complaint quota for something that is really serious - if that is is, then fine. Otherwise you run the risk of not being taken seriously.
Boy, wolf etc