Re: Facebook and teachers.

I've been struggling with this, actually. A former student wrote me an email and asked if I would be her friend on Facebook. I haven't answered her yet.

I think I might make an "alternate" facebook site that is just for students. There are some comments that my friends have made on my FB page that I wouldn't want teenagers to see. Plus if I had an alternate site, I could still keep in touch, but limit the family pictures.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

Also as a HS teacher with Facebook, I think this is very innappropriate. I have a great relationship with my students and many of them have met DH and know about my life. Also, b/c I live in the district, they see me out with friends and family. BUT, online - that is too much contact with them.

I have no desire to be "friends" with my students - past or present.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

My brother and SIL are both teachers and have pages where their students are friends........I find it kinda wierd to be honest

Re: Facebook and teachers.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

My good friend from HS is on Facebook and for the longest time I couldn't find her only to learn her profile was private and I had to email her to friend me.

I asked her why she had done this. She responded that she is a teacher (in Canada) and that her students had friended her. One of the parents found out, complained to the principal at my friend's school who then in turn advised my friend it was inappropriate for her to have that type of contact with students regarding her personal life. So, since then, her profile is private and she is unsearchable on Facebook.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

I agree, I would never accept a student as a friend--but today a parent of a girl I had three years ago, friended me--they moved out of state--I accepted--do u think that is wrong?

Re: Facebook and teachers.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

Im not sure that its inappropriate, but i dont see the reason why. Its like, doesnt he see his students all the time? I just woudnt WANT them to know about my personal life.

Im a teacher and on FB and im on complete private setting

Message edited 2/15/2009 7:12:13 PM.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

I have no idea why she want to be my friend either :)

Message edited 2/15/2009 11:28:23 PM.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

I think it's inappropriate. I have Facebook and Myspace and get their requests a lot...I decline then and then when they ask in school I tell them that I cannot accept them because I'm their teacher and I'd be responsible to report ANYTHING inappropriate so I do not want to step over that line and interfere in your private life. After I say that they totally get it!

Re: Facebook and teachers.

Re: Facebook and teachers.

I've been thinking about this ever since this thread was started yesterday, and there are two things that have occurred to me about this whole "phenomenon," so to speak...

a) I do think the climate of school has changed since we were in it, thanks to the internet, really. I also think that's both good and bad. In addition to it making a lot of things easier, I do think it's also made a lot of other things harder in a lot of ways. On the bad side: it's easier for them to plagiarize now; it's easier for them to post irresponsible things, and it's easier for them to think of us as equals because it's a place where sometimes, we're on the same websites. ... which can lead to the more informal relationships they sometimes think we can have now as a result.
(On the good side: I do know that when I was in school, I'd never have thought of talking to some of my teachers if I had a problem the way some of my students come to me now (even though we were always encouraged to "tell a trusted adult," too.) That part I think of as a good thing.)

b) I also think that the reason they are trying to friend us is because there ARE teachers who DO accept these requests. I know some of them. I don't necessarily think it's ALL their fault (though they could use better judgment, obviously, in some cases.) I do wish schools would make a formal policy about all this. It seems sometimes like the internet is racing ahead, and schools are just floundering to keep up. We know it's a new world since we were in school... and it seems like school, as an institution, is still trying to figure that out.

Phew. Sorry so long... just a few thoughts I had about the whole thing.