According to USA Today, at least 40 school districts nationwide have approved social media policies and schools in NYC and Florida have disciplined teachers for Facebook activity. In a New York case, one teacher friended several female students and wrote comments such as "this is sexy" under their photos. In another case, a substitute teacher sent a message to a student saying that her boyfriend did not "deserve a beautiful girl like you." New York Chancellor Dennis Walcott plans to release social media guidelines this
month, saying recently that teachers "don't want to be put in a situation that
could either compromise them or be misinterpreted."
In my opinion, I do not think that teachers should be friends on Facebook with their current students because this could lead to some students being unfairly treated, whether it's better or worse, in the classroom setting or when it comes to grading. Also, if news of this got out to public officials, like in the New York cases, the teachers and possibly even the students could get themselves into some unintended trouble. In my high school and school district they had a rule that you could be friends with any of your old teachers on Facebook after you graduated. I do have to say that I myself am friends on Facebook with my 2nd grade teacher from way back when. She was also my favorite teacher so naturally I accepted the request, but this was just last year when I was a senior in high school and was clearly not one of her students anymore. The only other faculty member I am friends with on Facebook is my 7th grade teacher. I did find this a little weird since I had noticed that he had friended almost everyone in my high school, was posting on their walls, and had posted pictures of himself smoking a "hookah" a while back. However, he did not say anything to me and I had already graduated so I didn't think it was a big deal. I do have to say that even though I already graduated last year it still is a little weird to be friends with your old teachers on Facebook, unless they were your favorite teacher and you could trust them. After a little while I did get used to it, but teachers and students still have to be careful about what they post because you never know who is going to see it and in what context it will be read or viewed in.
Should Teacher's 'Friend' Students?
I argee with teacher and students being friends after graduation. The was no rule like that at my high school, but the teachers did a self rule of not accepting friend requests until after the student graduated. Too much can be misunderstood and taken out on context if a teacher becomes froms with a student they had, but that student hasn't graduated yet. Great post, really puts to light what most of us don't even think about.
ReplyDeleteI agree! It would be very weird if current teachers and students were friends. At my high school, after graduation is when most teachers would accept student friend requests. It just could end up being a messy situation otherwise. Nice work!
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