Do you answer the phone while in class? - Page 4 - Ajarn Forum

zeitgeist · 28th February 2007, 16:12

My phone stays on silent and I will confiscate any phone that rings in class. Only the parents can retrieve the confiscated phone.

columbia · 28th February 2007, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bangkok Phil

Good thread.

I never answer a phone while I'm teaching unless it's from a member of my family abroad (and that would be exceedingly rare). Everyone else (provided you are in my phone book) can wait until I've finished teaching, and if it's a number I don't recognize then you'll have to catch me at another time - because I ain't calling you back.

These are my rules too. If it's a missed call with "no number" then I know it'll be my folks and they know when I work so if they did call during work hours (they haven't had to) then it would be something important. Then I'd excuse myself and call them back.

I've never called back a missed call that wasn't in my phone book same as Phil. I learnt my lesson the hard way when I first came to LOS. Call back an unknown number and you get "HELLLLO? HELLLO?" Wrong number situation. If it's somebody who's changed their number then i hope they'd have the common sense to text me and announce it.

Cyrille · 28th February 2007, 16:20

^ That's true. Plenty of thai schools ban phones. Their use is MUCH less prevalent now in places like cinemas than it was five years ago.

It's called 'Education'.

keegan · 28th February 2007, 16:28

my phone comes to class with me.
i don't allow students to recieve calls in the room.
if they get a call, they put up their hand with the phone in it,
and then go outside.
same for me.
the phone must be on vibrate.
a rule we, as a group devised, and it seems to be working well.
have had calls from home where i have had the students talk, very breifly, with my aunt or uncle. the students loved it, as did my relatives.
if the students are playing games on their phone, it is mine, until their parents come to claim it.
has happened twice this year. so, i think pretty successful.
came to this decision after acting the heavy last school year.
a phone rang in the middle of an oral test where the kids had to listen and evaluate their peers.
told por, the student, to put the phone away, turn it off.
her mom had just been killed in a car accident. her aunt was calling her.
por, because she is a good girl, did what i said, turned off her phone.
i know that whether she found out during or after the lesson really made no difference, her mom was dead.
but seeing her after class, so upset, made me realise, that things can happen, and the phone is an important tool.
again, if used for entertainment, it's mine.
also have a no phone rule for tests, something the s's came up with.

peelieorion · 28th February 2007, 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by keegan

my phone comes to class with me.
i don't allow students to recieve calls in the room.
if they get a call, they put up their hand with the phone in it,
and then go outside.
same for me.
the phone must be on vibrate.
a rule we, as a group devised, and it seems to be working well.
have had calls from home where i have had the students talk, very breifly, with my aunt or uncle. the students loved it, as did my relatives.
if the students are playing games on their phone, it is mine, until their parents come to claim it.
has happened twice this year. so, i think pretty successful.
came to this decision after acting the heavy last school year.
a phone rang in the middle of an oral test where the kids had to listen and evaluate their peers.
told por, the student, to put the phone away, turn it off.
her mom had just been killed in a car accident. her aunt was calling her.
por, because she is a good girl, did what i said, turned off her phone.
i know that whether she found out during or after the lesson really made no difference, her mom was dead.
but seeing her after class, so upset, made me realise, that things can happen, and the phone is an important tool.
again, if used for entertainment, it's mine.
also have a no phone rule for tests, something the s's came up with.

You seem to have the right balance. I have nothing against phones as long as they are used properly. problem in the West was phone crime and people seeming to use them inappropriately ie to download porn. Here though consistent rules and there's no problem. Still think its solves a whole load of problems if parents or spouses contact the school first through the office but then again we all know thai admin

Cyrille · 28th February 2007, 17:34

To me it's too time consuming to police what students are using their phone for.
I've got too much else to do to circle the room and see if a student is texting a drowning relative or looking at porn.
And the latter is rather more likely.

daneel · 28th February 2007, 18:18

I have been teaching the staff to SMS me. If it is important I will SMS back as soon as I have time. If it is a stupid question I wait for a few days. My boss doesn't get it though, she still calls. There are three people I will answer promptly after I go out of the room, my missus is not one of them.

I find it important to teach my kids what is important and what is not. Some classes have picked it up very well, phone on vibration. Telling me before hand they could get an important call (usually hospitalized relatives or some other problems with relatives).
Some classes, well confiscate all phones and lock them up cause they won't learn.

Talking about priorities. A friend of mine used to teach at a vocational school in Chon Buri.
A student's telephone rang and after a brief but fairly loud conversation my friend was ready to confiscate the phone. Didn't happen, before he could reach the phone she excused herself from class because a customer wanted to see her immediately.

SimonD · 28th February 2007, 19:23

Why is there even a debate about this? Why are people so obsessed with a piece of plastic with some electronics inside it? What is the matter with society today?

Those trying to justify their pig-ignorant rudeness should be taken outside and kicked in the goolies until they get the message. Jesus H.

columbia · 28th February 2007, 19:42

My friend relayed a story to me recently.

He was teaching a kids class at his school (Pratom) and he was playing a tape for the kids to listen to when a mother just walked in the room, walked up to her son and started talking to him. My friend was quite peeved at this rudeness when , to top it all, the mothers phone rang (full volume ringtone) and she answered it and started having a conversation in the middle of the class with all the kids watching! My friend reckoned his bellowed "GET OUT!!!!" could have woken the dead.

We both agreed when we knock Thai folks it's not the fact they're Thai. It's a fact that quite a number of them take rudeness and lack of consideration for others to an art form. Possibly only beaten by the Arabs.

Aquaman · 28th February 2007, 20:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by columbia

It's a fact that quite a number of them take rudeness and lack of consideration for others to an art form

why? there are more rude drivers here than anywhere ive been. the que doesnt matter most of the time. i have people come up and look at how much money i take out of the atm, what my bill is at the big c. and so on. why are people this rude? there must be some point in the human mind that tells people they shoulnt say something/do something. do some peopel lack this lobe?

Reg Young · 28th February 2007, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by columbia

My friend relayed a story to me recently.

He was teaching a kids class at his school (Pratom) and he was playing a tape for the kids to listen to when a mother just walked in the room, walked up to her son and started talking to him. My friend was quite peeved at this rudeness when , to top it all, the mothers phone rang (full volume ringtone) and she answered it and started having a conversation in the middle of the class with all the kids watching! My friend reckoned his bellowed "GET OUT!!!!" could have woken the dead.

We both agreed when we knock Thai folks it's not the fact they're Thai. It's a fact that quite a number of them take rudeness and lack of consideration for others to an art form. Possibly only beaten by the Arabs.

Someone like that should be taken outside and beaten by Arabs.
- Reg

expatwannabe · 28th February 2007, 20:28

I confiscate all phones that I hear ringing or that students pull out of their bags/pockets during class. I return them after class.

The embarrassment of being caught is usually enough to keep them from being a problem. I don't see a reason to involve the parents.

jonny danger · 28th February 2007, 20:43

Well aren't you just anal perfect.

keegan · 28th February 2007, 22:17

seems a lot of people here have not stopped what they are doing to take a phone call???
be that teaching or working.
in thailand or in their home countries.
such saints

Unwell · 1st March 2007, 08:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimonD

Why are people so obsessed with a piece of plastic with some electronics inside it?

spot on. it's the myth of self-importance i think...