For most of us, Facebook and Twitter weren't at our fingertips as freshman in high school. In fact, I would argue that many of us only knew about Facebook because of older friends or siblings in college. A new obstacle that high school teachers are facing revolves around policies implemented to prevent students from becoming 'Facebook friends' with their teachers. In some cases, school districts have not restricted the online interaction between teachers and students. Many high school teachers simply dread the idea of their students finding them on any type of personal social media.
In the college scene, to us, this probably seems ridiculous. I have found that this kind of decision is usually based on whether the professor has had you in class in the past, or could possibly have you for a course in the future. But for many, it is a casual interaction that is not uncommon between professor and student.
Now think back to high school. I attended one of the largest high school's in Indiana, which meant that our teacher population always had a sector of newly-graduated young men and women. Often, those were the teachers who had trouble setting boundaries (especially if they taught a senior level course). They wanted to be 'cool' with their students, but lacked the authority to draw a line in the sand. Unfortunately, those that I think about that pushed the enevlope in high school are no longer in the teaching profession.
So, how would your high school or school system deal with this obstacle? Has it implemented policies since you have graduated?
Another important aspect of this article is that the school system (located near Seattle) mentioned that it cannot actually restrict or place guidlines on teacher's social media. Really, all they can do is make suggestions, such as not to comment on a student's postings or pictures. If their privacy settings are not monitored, a teacher's dirty laundry is more than just aired...it becomes gossip in the lunchroom.
What would you do as a middle school or high school teacher?
My mom is a high school teacher and has no intentions of getting a Facebook, simply because of the way it may make her students view her. She wants to keep a professional relationship with them that doesn't go beyond academics or the classroom. Several of her colleagues have joined Facebook in an attempt to seem "cool" to their students and more than once, there have been some controversial posts or comments.
ReplyDeleteMy high school doesn't have a policy on social media but I think each individual teacher should be responsible enough to make wise deicisions about interacting with their students online.