Teacher using phone in class

[devilinthedetail]

I've been told by another Mum that her DD says the teacher uses her phone while in class. I'm pretty gobsmacked to hear this and not quite sure what to do with this information. I kind of assumed that this would be a big no-no for teachers.

Obviously I have only heard this 2nd hand and it has come from a 6yr old but if it is true, what should I do, if anything?

Um uses to what extent? To quickly google the answer to a child's question? To keep an eye out for a text as his/her child was a bit poorly this morning? Or for a full on chat with a friend?

My sil is a teacher and uses the clock on her phone as a timer for certain exercises.Shock Horror

I don't know to what extent. Apparently the girl commented on the ring-tone so it must have rung before in class. The girl also said that she uses it to text, but I don't know how the girl would know that for sure.

I just assumed that mobile phones wouldn't be in the classroom. Is that not the case? Surely the computer could be used for googling, rather than a phone?

Did she answer it or just cancel the call? Maybe just forgot to turn it off.

Op you could always ask the school what their policy is on this?

From a security point of view staff should be allowed phones in the classroom. They clearly could also be used in some activities such as timing things, taking photograph etc but you are introducing potential areas of concern into the classroom, which are easily resolved using other pieces of equipment.
Actually texting, phone calls during lessons are in my opinion a big no, as opposed to an honest mistake of leaving phone on ring etc.
I think you need to approach this with caution as it is all second hand information and you need to try and clarify what really happened and whether this was a one off before doing anything else.

I used to check the time on my phone when the clock stopped working.

You don't do anything. The 'information' you have is hardly reliable! She could have been using her phone for anything - and it could have been quite legit. The sound could have been a timer or an alarm alert. She could be using it as a watch - fewer and fewer young adults seem to wear a watch but use their phones for this purpose.

This is third hand. You do nothing.

You have information off a mum, who got it from her 6yo.

If it was your dd saying she tried to ask Miss X how to do her maths and the Miss X waved her away because she was on the phone... then you make enquiries.

It could well be that she used it in the context of introducing a game. My (very basic) phone can be set to "ring" at a certain time. It rings, teacher picks up in front of class. Says "ooh. That's exciting...guess who's on the phone class..." and it could hold their attention while she introduces a game.

I use that sort of thing when dealing with a group, as it introduces an exercise in a much more engaging and fun way than just saying "we're doing adding numbers to 9 today" you have "Mr. B. Rabbit wants you to see how many different ways you can arrange his 9 holes in two rows, so he can decide which he likes."

there are also a number of useful apps that could be used in the class - there is 1 that I have that is a reward system so I can add points on without using my pc, as the class are working from the slides on the pc. Also the timer as has already been said.

I don't think you should do anything as the info you have is not reliable.

I wouldn't do anything without verifying what it was being used for and the regularity. I just assumed (wrongly it would seem) that mobile phones didn't have a place in the classroom. But I can see that certain functions on a phone would be useful (like the timer).

I leave my phone on at work in case something happens to my own children at school.

I have used my phone as a timer and to take photos of things children have done EG a symmetrical picture using counters on a whiteboard.

I have also been taught on a training day to use the audio record on my phone for assessment if a child is saying something record-worthy.

Hmm... Our school policy is that phones must be locked away at all times and most definitely not used when children are around. It's a massive no-no for our Head. Yes, there are some good apps you can use to track progress etc, but unfortunately the fact that photos can be taken and possibly misused has made a phone with a sim in it not acceptable in classrooms. Having said that, in a previous school, we used a sim-free phone to track the children's progress in Nursery. It probably looked like we were texting when we were inputting info - possibly that's what it is??

is she regularly on the phone or was it a once off? she might have had a sick child at home with her partner or a parent in hospital etc!

I've had my phone in my classroom today rather than my office,but then i left my watch at home, so need it to tell the time. I had forgotten to turn off the ringer, so when i get emails it makes a small noise (most of them school emails!). I use my phone at other times as a timer (have you seen how expensive decent timers are otherwise!) and to film presentations that my children make (we don't have a school video camera).

Is it a school phone?

Our primary has one in each classroom. It makes it easier to pass on messages, check that a child has arrived etc.

And when your child forgets her lunch, and you drop it off at the office, presumably you expect a member of the office staff to find your child and hand it over personally? Rather than ringing the teacher so your child can go and collect it?

I am a teacher and I have my phone on silent in my classroom on my desk. Sometimes I don't make it to the staffroom at playtimes so like to check it in case of missed calls from my son's nursery if he has been under the weather.
I also take it out on playground duty as I don't have a watch. I also use the timer on it.

Quickly picking up a phone to check it and being sat there sending texts and ringing people are two very different things!

I have also checked my emails during my lunch break whilst marking in the classroom when a child or two has come in when they should have been outside. This is what could have been seen. The children have no understanding that during lunch times it is our break! (well, time to mark and getting ready for the afternoon!).

yeah, I wouldn't take seriously anything heard third hand, personally

I Use my phone as a clock, don't wear a watch.

Tell you what else, I don't use it to MN when I should be working either, unlike many.

I forgot to say, it is strictly not allowed for teachers to use their phones to take pictures of children so if that was happening I would be annoyed.

At ds's previous school one of the teachers used to spend his time in lessons texting his girlfriend who was a teacher in another part of the school (different sites). His form class complained to the head. Nothing happened. The next year he was doing the same and his form class complained to the head. Still nothing happened. Parents in both years also complained and still nothing was done.

Agree with dewe. You don't do anything based on 3rd-hand information from a 6yr old! In fact a lot of 1st-hand info from a 6 year old is suspect

I teach sport and I use my iPhone as a timer. I use the clock. I do know the head in the school doesn't allow teachers to have phones out. I don't always have the training on internal phone systems etc so it's easier for me to have my phone. Most schools accept this.