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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Preschoolers
Do parents really think teachers use their phone during scho



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amother
Bisque


 

Post Mon, Jul 30 2018, 7:04 pm
I'm just wondering.... I'm a Morah this summer again after many years (and loving it) but one thing has me confused.

I get texted or WhatsApped pretty often with things like " David didn't eat breakfast so do you mind giving him something to eat when he comes in? Or an hour before dismissal please send shmulie home with Daniel" or "simcha was feeling under the weather when he left home how's he feeling now" - with follow up messages every 20 minutes when it's not replied to (if the parents put a note on him I would know right away and would be happy to call/text to update them). I could go on and on.

Do the parents think I check my phone every ten minutes? Or jump up whenever I hear it beep? Don't they want me to just be focused on their kids?

Honestly if I texted a Morah and she usally replies a minute later I wouldnt like it to much - this means the Morah has a phone with her, and if she's replying to me and there's 20 other kids that means she must get distracted multiple times during the day....

I do check two three times a day and try to reply then but for time sensitive things I somtimes miss it (ex see by lunch that David didn't have breakfast and ect)

I'm honestly curious is this how the new generation works now? Or just my spefic class for some reason? It's not all the parents but at least a quarter of them.
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amother
Silver


 

Post Mon, Jul 30 2018, 7:09 pm
This goes on in my kids school and I hate it. The teachers do look at their phones and reply, but I don't understand how the parents don't realize that for every time the teacher reads and responds to you, she's doing it for all the other parents too, so not, it's not just a minute or two. I would rather have a focused, engaged teacher than one who is easy to reach.
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amother
Orchid


 

Post Mon, Jul 30 2018, 7:14 pm
Why do parents have your contact info?
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amother
Mauve


 

Post Mon, Jul 30 2018, 7:16 pm
Send a WhatsApp to the parents group explaining that since you are focused on the kids, you don't check your phone during the day. If they have something important to tell you, please send a note with the child in the morning. Otherwise, assume that you don't get messages.
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Optione




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jul 30 2018, 7:22 pm
I do not have my phone out when I'm with my students. If a parent texts me, I do not reply (even when I do see it later). They know that I won't respond, though; I tell them at parent orientation. If they need something time sensitive, it therefore always goes through the office.
FTR, I've been in the classroom for a bunch of years but am still younger than the parents in my class.
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amother
Amber


 

Post Mon, Jul 30 2018, 8:15 pm
I would be very upset if my kids teachers had their phones during school hours.
And why do parents have teaches cell phone numbers?
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jul 30 2018, 8:19 pm
The only part I really find odd is when they nag if you don't reply. I do think people assume a more casual setup in the summer, so there is more of this texting than usual. But I see it as a bonus, not a formal communication. If I'm REALLY worried about how my kid is doing, I'll call (or call the office, or something.) If I text "how's he doing" then my expectation is just that if the teacher happens to see the message and happens to reply, then it will be nice.

During the school year I check for messages between periods. In the summer I work in a more casual setting and there are more staff/assistants engaging with the kids so I'm more able to answer messages every here and there. I'll also make sure to check at key points during the day such as before lunch and before dismissal, in case of any instructions - it may not be the world's most reliable way to communicate, but sometimes it's the most efficient, if you're running late to pickup etc.

Best is if teacher can establish clear expectations with parents about how to make contact.
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amother
Amethyst


 

Post Mon, Jul 30 2018, 8:30 pm
I’m a therapist and sometimes parents will text me when I’m in session, and of course I’m not looking at my phone. I’ve had parents ask if I can end the session a few minutes early so they can talk to me etc. Some days I don’t even have time to look at my phone until after the last client. I always wonder the same.
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amother
Bisque


 

Post Tue, Jul 31 2018, 3:49 pm
amother wrote:
Why do parents have your contact info?

Beacause I had to call them all before camp started and don't have a landline.
I guess my choices are either to get one or like a prev poster wrote make it clear from the start that I don't answer during the day. I'm just still finding it hard to understand the whole things - I spoke to two people today who work in different schools and they said that the teachers text/answer messages during the day.
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amother
Bisque


 

Post Tue, Jul 31 2018, 3:50 pm
.
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amother
Babypink


 

Post Tue, Jul 31 2018, 4:01 pm
Yes, I think that is exactly what they think. Because their phones have fused into the palms of their hands, they assume that everyone is physically one with a phone. They also think that because their tuition pays your salary, they have the right to expect your attention on demand. refund their twenty-five cents and let them jump in a lake.

cell phones have done our society few favors. Among the other forms of damage they have done is the dramatic shortening of people's attention spans and patience spans. People expect everyone to be universally available and instantly responsive, and get huffy if you don't pick up or answer immediately. And you should, because whatever they have to say is always of such earthshaking importance.(NOT.)
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teachkids




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 31 2018, 5:02 pm
I tell parents to email me if they need me, and I'll check it when I can. 1 parent had my number to text me because the child had a complicated medical issue. I made it clear to parents that I will check my phone during breaks in the day, but don't expect an immediate response because I am teaching all day. I can easily read a quick note while the students are putting siddurim away or getting out their snack, but don't expect me to respond. Flipside was my students knew that if my phone was in my hand I was probably texting one of the other teachers or an administrator about something important and to hang in there.
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 01 2018, 2:48 am
some check esp with an ozeret.
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Wed, Aug 01 2018, 3:35 am
amother wrote:
Why do parents have your contact info?


In my kids' school in Israel the parents get all the teachers' numbers on the first day, printed on a sheet (from the gym teacher to the principal).
We didn't have this with the older kids, but that was before cell phones totally took over. Now with the younger ones, it is much easier to contact a teacher.
We also have class whatsapp groups with the teachers.

There are pluses and minuses to being so connected. On the one hand, I feel a lot more secure and reachable. I remember when I used to leave a little child at gan and worry that if something were to happen, there was no way to reach me if I wasn't at home or at work.
On the other hand, it's gone to the other extreme.
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