Is it stealing to listen in on another telephone classroom?

renslet

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 7:30 am

Signing into a zoom class, I can see why teachers might be upset. Everyone can see you and it can distract others, plus there are limits on how many people can be on a zoom call.
But prerecorded? Phone classes? I don't see how it effects anyone else.

Chayalle

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:02 am

Blessing1 wrote:

They can be in the same room without listening in. To purposely listen in to keep them occupied is dishonest.
As sixofwands said, it's like sitting into a classroom without paying tuition.

They were there, in the same room. They are ages 4 and 5. It's hard enough to keep younger kids occupied and older kid engaged, without driving them all nuts (hey you! don't listen in! Hey you! are you paying attention?!). It just happened, they were there, they were listening and understood it. My sister thought it was cute. She joked about the tuition.

Whatever.

I think there are enough challenges with homeschooling that none of us signed up for, while continuing to pay the same tuition rate we normally pay. Teachers have to expect that some of this will go on (parents listening to help. younger kids being in the room enjoying the story or lesson.) If it's challenging for you that others will hear, consider the fact that it's challenging for parents to get their kids to attend these home classes.

Of course, ask a sheilah when in doubt. Can't imagine their gonna say you have to isolate siblings or any other relatives living in the home.

Chayalle

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:05 am

BTW - my 6th grader told me they had an issue with another student, who somehow got hold of the # for her class, dialing in and totally disrupting the class, acting silly, etc...

The teacher simply stopped the lesson, informed everyone that she has tracking abilities by phone # and can find out the student's identity, but is giving her a minute to get off the line without looking at her number. The kid got off really fast.

Mama Bear

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 11:18 am

I think that if it's within the same family that would be fine, bc the teachers understand that there sometimes might be other family members within earshot when the child listens in. I would draw the line with calling up complete strangers' hotlines. Your own kids/siblings is more of an expected thing to happen.
My son's rebbe actually would actively engage his students' siblings during the teleconferences, it was so cute.

ShishKabob

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 5:00 pm

renslet wrote:

this is my opinion as well.

imasinger

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 5:44 pm

As a preschool music teacher, I welcome well behaved siblings. Too many kids are zoomed out, so the expected attendance is way down. For me, the more, the merrier, if they can follow reasonable rules.

Random outsiders, that's probably disconcerting and inappropriate.

groisamomma

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 5:49 pm

It didn't dawn on me that it might be a problem. My high school daughter and her friends listen to each other's teachers and principals all the time. I love when she repeats things she heard from her friend's principal. I listen to 2 of her teachers (halacha and navi) and her principal's Erev Shabbos speech on Fridays, too. I thought it was such a nice thing!

As a teacher I couldn't care less who joins my Zoom classes. I only ask that the noisy parents that laugh out loud at my jokes should please mute themselves first!

Chayalle

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 6:57 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

IMNSHO, for younger kids, at the very least, parents are expected to be there, listening and helping. No issue.

A student in Morah A's class listening in on Morah B shouldn't be an issue, either. Maybe Morah B teaches better for a specific type of student in a specific area (and Morah A is better at something else). You're maximizing the learning. So long as you don't interfere with the actual class.

The rest I think is a question. Why is it different from walking into the classroom without paying tuition?

It's different because in this case, the class is taking place in her home, not in the classroom. She can have other family members in her own home, and they might hear what's going on, since the class has now come into her premises.

amother

Pearl

Wed, Jun 10 2020, 1:14 am

I think that if you would get your friend's code and listen in to a parenting/marriage workshop it could be stealing. Saying could be because I don't know the halacha but I would imagine so.
However little kids listening in to some stupid lesson just to hear what the teacher's voice sounds like - why is that stealing?! They are not planning to use that information in any way. I am surprised they are even interested to listen in, they must be really bored.
Listening to alef beis or maths being taught by Morah Chani - really? Obviously if you're the teacher who plans to use it to give over to others, it's a different story

TwinsMommy

Wed, Jun 10 2020, 7:45 am

Interestingly, I fold laundry in the evenings where my husband calls into daf yomi on speakerphone. I wasn't always frum and I've actually learned some gemara in the past. Hard not to listen in. Smile