Professional Documents
Culture Documents
popularity, the word friends has evolved. Along with the traditional meaning, it
also started to mean people whom you get online updates and messages from,
whom you inform about your recent activities, whom you get in touch with
virtually, and so on. At the same time, a friend on Facebook can actually be a
random person, a stranger whom you have seen only once or twice. People add
new friends easily; this is related especially to teenagers and students, who
tend to friend everyone they meet, including their teachers. Some people see
it as a positive sign, assuming that virtual friendship will help make studying
more fun and simple. However, there are strong reasons behind teachers
decisions not to add students as friends on Facebook or other social media
platforms.
The most significant concern is privacy, and perhaps teachers are more
vulnerable in these terms than teenagers. Through Facebook and other social
media platforms, students might learn details from the lives of their teachers
which they are not supposed to learn: information about intimate relationships,
vacations, and so on.
Still, it's inappropriate for teachers to have Facebook friendships with students.
Facebook is an online social space. The site is intended to help people connect
with family and friends, not with professionals. I bet few of us are Facebook
friends with our doctor, for example. If teachers interact with students as we
share family photos, poolside or at a holiday party, or post jokes that may be
suited for close family and friends, we build unprofessional relationships with
school-age kids. In fact, Facebook friendships between teachers and students
contribute to the de-professionalization of teaching. We become their friends
not their teachers.
It also creates uncomfortable opportunities for us, the teachers, to see our
students questionable posts: partying, smoking, participating in highly
questionable situations in their teen world. So whats a teacher to do if he sees
15-year-old Johnny or Janie from 4th period post a picture of him or herself
smoking weed? Or what if 18-year-old senior Jose or Maria posts a revealing
photo after his or her work out?
Were strangely entering their world and theyre entering ours. Were becoming
peers, confidants who must keep secrets. And there are just some things we do
not need to know about our students and some things they do not need to know
about us.
Sometimes, we must remember, our students dont even have their own parents
as Facebook friends.
The Chicago Public Schools official policy articulated at the 2012-2013 principal
training specifically says, All employees communicating with students via
electronic means must do so using CPS network systems. I know. I know. Its a
CPS policypeople dont like those. However, teachers should not be Facebook
friends with studentswe need to be their teachers, not their friends.
Remember to submit your vote for my Bammy! Award nomination in the blogger
category--scroll down on your phone or look on the right if you're on a computer.
Continue the conversation below or "Like" The White Rhino Blog's Facebook page
and follow me @whiterhinoray.
You can also sign up to receive one update when I post. Type your email address
in the box and click the "create subscription" button. My list is completely spam
free, and you can opt out at any time.
To friend the teacher or not to friend the teacher, that is the question.
The school year is right around the corner and the safety of all children is on the
forefront of our minds. We think its time for all parents to think about boundaries
between students and their teachers.
Teachers are in the position of role model for our children, no matter what your
childrens ages. In todays world our childrens teachers are using technology.
While technology is advancing the age of children, its use is starting younger and
younger. Many teachers use technology in the classroom and your children need
to be up to speed on the latest and greatest that is out there.
It all sounds good, right? Wrong. Facebook is a social media network, a place
where a teacher wears many hats. We are not even talking about impropriety
here, we are talking about common sense privacy and professional boundaries.
Do all teachers think to themselves before they post a picture or make a
commentwhat will my 7th grade students think about this? Is it appropriate
for your 6th grader to know that her teacher spent the weekend away with her
boyfriend? (Nothing wrong with Teacher spending the weekend away, but is it
necessary for your sixth grader to know how her teacher spends her weekend?)
In todays complicated world, it seems more and more that teachers are crossing
boundaries with students. Not a day goes by that we dont see a news story
about a teacher, coach, or other trusted adult molesting, sexting, or using other
inappropriate avenues to get close with a student through technology. Now if
teachers are reading thiskeep in mind that we are teachers too, and we believe
that most teachers only have the best interests of their students in mind and
would never cross inappropriate boundaries. But in this day and age, there are
many that do, unfortunately. Because of this, we believe that teachers and
students should NOT be friends on any social media sites.
Our children are growing up in the digital ageless is more, faster is better, and
to catch a childs attention, teachers must be on the cutting edge of technology.
But that doesnt mean that the students understand what is in their own best
interest. Many wouldnt think twice about friending a teacher on Facebook. It is
the teachers that need to put in some thought, recognize their professional roles,
and realize the risks they open themselves up to by friending students.
There are a myriad of options online for todays teachers to reach out to their
students without crossing professional boundaries or perhaps mistakenly
showing favoritism. Teachers creating a class website that reaches out to the
whole class, including parents, can be an effective form of communication and
have tremendous benefit to children.
Our solution: Teachers should not be friends with their students! They should
be mentors, role models, and guides for our children.
Teachers deserve to have a life. They have every right to post pictures, talk
about their lives, and do whatever they want in their own social networking
realm. But I dont want my child to see it or be a part of it because when they do,
they become a part of it too. And that, my friend, is how the boundaries
become blurred.