More and more school districts are passing policies that forbid teachers from interacting with their students via social networking web sites. We have written about this before, but the movement seems to be gaining traction. This is a slippery slope and a challenging issue for all involved.
A policy recently adopted by the Elmbrook School District (Brookfield, WI) bans all communication between students and staff on social networking web sites and instant messaging applications. What’s interesting about this district’s approach, is that according to reports, the original version of the proposed policy would have “banned district staff from using text messaging, instant messaging and social networking altogether, even personally while off the clock.” Are you kidding me? I suppose the next action the Board will take is to pass is a policy forbidding teachers to listen to that “rock and roll” music?!?
Personally I think this kind of a policy is ridiculous. Adolescents hang out in these environments and increasingly so do many adults (especially younger adults). This is akin to saying that teachers aren’t allowed to talk to students they see in the mall or elsewhere in the community. Are they just supposed to ignore them? Why stifle the development of a positive relationship between a teacher and a student? I think this is particularly true among older students, as the teacher begins to transform into more of a mentor than a superior. What happens when the students graduate? Can they communicate with alums? What if their own children are in their school?
Adults need to recognize that this is the way youth communicate these days. They don’t pick up the phone and call. They don’t really even email that much anymore. They text and they message using Facebook and MySpace. They increasingly Twitter. If adults want to talk to kids, this is how they are going to have to do it. It can open up lines of communication previously not available.
I know of many teachers who utilize social networking sites in a positive way to interact with their students. For example, they post student art and creative writing or interesting articles or books that relate to topics discussed in the classroom. Why punish them for the inappropriate actions of a select few? Instead of banning their use, why not focus on teaching both staff and students how to use them responsibly? Both need to recognize the boundaries and keep the discussion/interaction professional.
I could be way off base on this, and am certainly open to your thoughts. Is this another example of throwing the baby out with the bathwater or are there genuine concerns here that are impossible to deal with using other methods?
Any district ban for teachers that involves “off the clock” in any way, shape, or form is excessive. This is a profession, not a lifestyle. Elmbrook has some reconsidering to do…
I can't believe they expect teachers to actually do this and banning there off the clock activities is insane! Teachers are regular people with lives too! I have a friend who is a teacher and lets say we are out having dinner, just hanging out, drinking some wine or whatever and pictures are being taken, none of us can post pictures of her with alcohol because one of her students might see. I never understood that we are all legal age to drink, we are not plastered doing illegal things, so what she's a teacher now and can be seen having fun or a life. And if we close off ways teachers can communicate with there students how can students learn or feel that there teachers are someone they can talk too?
Excellent site, keep up the good work
Another way the school districts try to monitor the teachers… After teaching for 18+years, the internet has made it easier for students to communicate their needs (ie.: clarification of missing/misunderstood assignments, getting help with research/writing, basic interaction when they are overwhelmed, etc.). There should be some type of refresher course in education for the administrators, directors, and superintendants. They really do not understand that times have changed.
Kathy Marie's comment about the teacher being seen as "having fun or a life" is true in many aspects. We have a BOE in which they began giving us lesson plans to follow, implimented a residency rule (not for everyone… it changes based on what they say is "high need" but they change it for certain subject areas and not for all in others. When I was single, I lived two blocks away from my students but NEVER told them where I lived. Middle school children can be kind and compassionate one moment and vindictive the next.
Yes, there is cyberbullying on FB, but there are also students who speak a little differently and act with more respect because they know they have adults/parents on there also. Sometimes it is guidance and other times there is no interaction. And yet there are moments too where it is that the kids are playing a game that the teacher plays too. They see that we are human but we are also being a mentor and in a small way, protecting them.
Thanks for having this site.
Another way the school districts try to monitor the teachers… After teaching for 18+years, the internet has made it easier for students to communicate their needs (ie.: clarification of missing/misunderstood assignments, getting help with research/writing, basic interaction when they are overwhelmed, etc.). There should be some type of refresher course in education for the administrators, directors, and superintendants. They really do not understand that times have changed.
Kathy Marie's comment about the teacher being seen as "having fun or a life" is true in many aspects. We have a BOE in which they began giving us lesson plans to follow, implimented a residency rule (not for everyone… it changes based on what they say is "high need" but they change it for certain subject areas and not for all in others. When I was single, I lived two blocks away from my students but NEVER told them where I lived. Middle school children can be kind and compassionate one moment and vindictive the next.
Yes, there is cyberbullying on FB, but there are also students who speak a little differently and act with more respect because they know they have adults/parents on there also. Sometimes it is guidance and other times there is no interaction. And yet there are moments too where it is that the kids are playing a game that the teacher plays too. They see that we are human but we are also being a mentor and in a small way, protecting them.
Thanks for having this site.
Facebook has become a primary means of communication between friends, family, colleagues, and even professors. To know that I can connect with family overseas with the click of a button fascinates me. But like all good things, it can be misused and abused. I was recently watching a documentary, The Facebook Obsession that tracked the growth and incredible success of Facebook. Most users register with Facebook to reconnect with old friends, and to easily keep in touch with new friends. That’s usually the case, but more often than not, facebookers use their account to rant about their everyday lives. The documentary showed how Facebook ruined the life of a very accomplished professional woman. After a tough day at work, she came home and ranted on Facebook about her job as a school teacher, not realizing that Facebook had changed their privacy settings. Her job eventually found out about the unkind words and she was soon fired. Majority of the time Facebook is seen as a harmless social media website, but that isn’t always the case.
Facebook has become a primary means of communication between friends, family, colleagues, and even professors. To know that I can connect with family overseas with the click of a button fascinates me. But like all good things, it can be misused and abused. I was recently watching a documentary, The Facebook Obsession that tracked the growth and incredible success of Facebook. Most users register with Facebook to reconnect with old friends, and to easily keep in touch with new friends. That’s usually the case, but more often than not, facebookers use their account to rant about their everyday lives. The documentary showed how Facebook ruined the life of a very accomplished professional woman. After a tough day at work, she came home and ranted on Facebook about her job as a school teacher, not realizing that Facebook had changed their privacy settings. Her job eventually found out about the unkind words and she was soon fired. Majority of the time Facebook is seen as a harmless social media website, but that isn’t always the case.
School districts that forbid teachers from communicating with students are doing the teachers a huge favor. If a real-time market exists for teacher-to-student online interaction…believe me, somebody will make an app for it. Facebook is not that app; was not set up for it; and any teacher who believes it to be so is walking sideways on a slippery slope. How about we get back to doing business the old fashioned way…face to face.
School districts that forbid teachers from communicating with students are doing the teachers a huge favor. If a real-time market exists for teacher-to-student online interaction…believe me, somebody will make an app for it. Facebook is not that app; was not set up for it; and any teacher who believes it to be so is walking sideways on a slippery slope. How about we get back to doing business the old fashioned way…face to face.