Do you think teachers should be facebook friends with their students or the parents of students?
I've noticed more and more comments on other people's facebook posts from teachers who work at my child's school. I'm not sure if I would be comfortable being facebook friends with my child's teacher or with my child being her teacher's facebook friend.
I don't think there is anything wrong with being friends with your student/teacher or the parents of your students. Probably this happens in real life from time to time, so why not on Facebook? I would not think it was required though, and particularly if I were a teacher I might feel a need for some space away from "work".
I would definitely agree that it should not be a requirement. I also agree that a teacher would definitely want some space away from work. Thanks.
Not at all. I would honestly try to sue the teacher. But of course, my kids wouldn't be in a school in the first place. I'm all for homeschooling.
As a teacher who has home schooled one of my children and had my other children go through public school i can say that public school is not for every student and neither is home school.
Yay Iburmaster! Never, ever, ever, ever would my kids go to school outside the home. I wish there had been an option when my children were growing up.
If you know how to use all the settings correctly on facebook you can control who sees what. However, as a teacher I would recommend first friending a parent AFTER the student has left for the school year and then friend the student later down the road, but still controlling what they see.
The important thing here is if they know how to use all the settings...I don't know about that. I'm not even sure what all the settings are, but I like the idea of friending a parent first. Thanks.
I think it depends on the age of your child. For instance, I am "friends" with my child's pre-school teacher, and I find this is a good way to stay in touch as well as find out what is going on in the class.
As the chiuldren get older and want to become friends with their teacher it could cause problems. For instance, one of the schools where I taught was a progessinve school where the students called the teachers by their first names. This caused some issues because the students often felt that we were equals and this manifested itself in some interesting ways. For instance, some students wanted to come in, plop down and tell you all about their week-end. I would have to stop them and say, "If you tell me anything else, I'm going to have to tell someone." This was before Facebook, but I can see that if a child is a friend with their teacher, the teacher may know some things and be obligated to report them. Also, the saying "familiarity breeds contempt" is applicable here. I think there needs to be a dividing line.
Interesting thoughts and really interesting that you taught in a progressive school. I went to an alternative middle school back in the mid seventies and we called the teachers by their first names. It was not a good fit for me. Thanks.
I understand your feelings. There's a fine line & unmonitored it can become chaos. I don't think having a friendship with students & parents is a good idea. It's only used as another line of communication about assignments, projects or conc
Friends, yes, Facebook friends, no. There should be a separation and respect of privacy from parents, pupils, and teachers. What is carried on at school and represented as school activities, should remain separate.
I feel it may be somewhat unethical. It may cause a conflict of interest or create biases on the part of the teacher. This is also risky because one questionable photo or comment (even with good intentions) could quickly blow out of proportion....and with so many cases lately regarding student/teacher romantic relationships, I feel it is in the best interest of both the teach and student to keep the relationship strictly professional.
Good point about the photos or comments. There is so much in the news about that these days. Thanks.
I most definitely do not. IMO, the place for teachers to interact in any way with students and/or their parents is within the safety and appropriateness of the school, whether during school hours or school related activities and meetings aside from the school day.
It is important to keep the lines of communication open between teacher and student...and teacher-student-&-parents.....but the subject matter of exchange should be school/education related. There is no need to become "friends on a social media site!" In fact, I find this to be seriously inappropriate.
Thanks. I agree with you but think that it will become more common as social media sites become more and more pervasive.
Students, absolutely not. If they want 'face' time, it should be in the proper context of the classroom or official school sponsored activities like clubs or sports programs. As for parents, I'm inclined say the same. The only difference may be if they were already friends outside of school, like members of the same church or social organization.
Thanks. I bet it's tough for people that are acquainted outside of school. There definitely has to be a line.
I do not think teachers should be Facebook friends with their students. As a teacher, I do not want my students reading my status on Facebook. As a Parent, I do not want my children to Facebook friend some of their teachers. This is just one way to protect students and teachers from things that happen on Facebook. I understand this is very controversial, and I do realize that there will be some instances where teachers will be Facebook friends with their students and parents. One example is our Ag Teacher is also the Youth Minister for a local church. He will of course have students who belong to his Youth Group as Facebook friends. Another example is some of our Teachers are parents, and require their children to have them as a Facebook friend so they can monitor their child's activity. These teachers will possibly become friends with some of their child's friends, who are also students.
Ultimately, it is up to the Parent to make the decision as to who can be their child's Facebook friend, but the truth is, it is really difficult to monitor and prevent. From a Teacher's perspective I do not suggest being friends with your students or your students parents because this can be used against you, weather you do something bad or not. Your students will try to be your friends, but I suggest that you stay away from it, unless you have somehow incorporated Facebook into some form of communication regarding school. Even with that, I would think twice.
Great points here and I have to agree with them. It seems to be the general consensus in the answers here.
Glimmer Twin Fan,
This is a good question, however, as you can see can have a myriad of perspectives to consider.
I am sure in this day and age the schools the teachers are employed by have code of conducts, moral and ethical requirements, and general rules to abide by. So, given that, there isn't much more to the answer.
That said, in a world where 'instant' communication is the Expectation and not the rule, facebook could be a very good avenue to explore the ideals of what being a teacher is, where the moral divide is and should be, and how to connect with the youth and parents in a way that enhances the learning of the child.
I have worked with youth for the past decade. I am forbidden by my work to engage in any form of relationship (even when the intention is as support to the youth I no longer serve). With this, I cannot have facebook friends with them or their parents or other guardian type person in their life. I abide by this rule, however, feel that there are some youth who I've worked with who would have benefitted from a continued therapeutic relationship with those they worked with.
In the parameters of being a teacher, whereby we cannot reach all students in the same manner in a classroom setting, the less structured outside world may give youth (and maybe I'm speaking of youth 14 and up as they will have waded in the waters of moral reasoning etc by that time) a more comfortable manner in which to connect. The youth I served often opened up while outside of the normal environment - during excursions, life skills programming outside of the residence/facility etc. The formal, clinical feel to the environment often hinders connectivity.
So, while my career isn't a structured teaching position, teaching youth about life skills, sexual health, moral reasoning, respecting yourself and others etc, I feel that if given the right structure a facebook page that's accessible to those you serve could be a benefit to them.
Now, if it were permissible by my employer I would have to think long and hard about Why Not? I would however not have the youth/parents connected to a personal webpage where I share personal pics/stories etc that I deem unnecessary for students to see, I would consider makings a 'school only' facebook page - todays youth have access to other media type assessment tools already where they grade their teachers....I don't see a school endorsed webpage as straying far from that.
So as you can see, plenty of sides to consider.
Interesting response with a both sides approach and really well thought out. Interesting approach of having a "school only" page. Thanks.
I am a teacher. With all the things students can do to ruin your career it is never a good idea to be facebook friends with students and not wise to be facebook friends with students who have recently been in your class.
Well said. There are all kinds of stories in the news these days about facebook.
My organisation the APT provides training for existing tutors and those considering a career in the tuition industry. One of our modules is 'Projecting a Positive Image' and while we don't say NEVER engage with your students using social media - we do offer pointers on how to avoid the pitfalls that the following educators would have done well to heed.
If you ever need proof that boundaries are absolutely essential, read the story of Leonora Rustamova who was sacked after being found on the internet promoting a book she’d written involving underage drinking, hints of drug use and "pupil fantasies http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west … 071857.stm
And Elizabeth Scarlett’s career was put at jeopardy because of Facebook comments http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-sout … s-16929442
Nyanza Roberts also found out the danger of Facebook in-etiquette http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.u … story.html
My advice would be to set up a specific profile if the need warranted and keep it specifically for 'proper' educator/learner exchanges. Anything else, and you could become a headline!
You see headlines about facebook all the time these days. I think it's better for everyone to just not do it.
I taught for several years and I found that it was best to have two separate accounts: one personal and one professional. My professional account was open to current/past students, co-workers and parents so that information, questions and forums could be set up without blurring the lines or decorum. My personal account was private and never allowed current students or parents access. It worked quite well and encourage having a professional Facebook as an educator. In the age of social media, having various forms of open communication is essential. I attended several workshops on the subject and it's the wave of the future especially for secondary education.
I think it depends. If we are talking about college students, a private primary or secondary school with a close-knit community, or a special case in which the teacher and student had another age-appropriate relationship (relatives, neighbors, family friends, coaches, private tutors, etc.) outside of school before the teacher-student relationship existed, then I think it is fine. However, I do not believe it is okay for a school-related conversation to make its way into that personal relationship. If possible, the two should remain entirely separate. I also think it is fine for them to converse without being "friends" in a public forum.
Missouri had a short-lived law that was changed after an overwhelming protest from the public banning all teacher-student relationships AND former teacher-former student relationships on social media. I feel that such a law takes things a little too far. There was no provision made for the age of the student, or the teacher for that matter. Some students work as tutors, teaching aids, etc. while they are still minors, which defined them as "teachers" under the vague interpretation of the law. Students grow up, in which case a friendship with a former teacher is no longer inappropriate. Also, there was not special case exception in the law as I described above.
Overall, I think that the school, and therefore agents of the school, should not be aware of what students do with social media because it tempts them to try to regulate that which is outside of the jurisdiction. And of course, there is that risk of relationships that are not age-appropriate developing if teachers and students have increased access to each other.
I would say, as a student myself, that it very much depends on the student and the teacher. I dont think you can make an overall statement that teachers or students should or shouldn't be friends on Facebook. My math teacher and I talk together a lot because we both find mathematics very interesting and I feel, he's got a lot to teach me and from his point of view, I believe, he thinks I have something to contribute as well. However, this doesn't mean that he acts any differently with me than anyone else in my class and in my opinion it shouldn't, because that would be unfair - and I'm pretty sure, he would say the exact same thing if you asked me.
On the other hand, I have a riot against my Danish teacher, who I dislike very much because of her attitude, and I would never befriend her on Facebook. So, as I said, I believe it depends very much on the teacher and the student but mostly, I would agree that being friends on Facebook or any other social media sites for that matter is out of the question.
Interesting from the students point of view. Thanks.
I wanted to try to answer this question for I have experience with this subject. First, one of the previous commenter’s made my point for me when they said, “I find this is a good way to stay in touch as well as find out what is going on in the class". No matter how this issue is rationalized it remains inappropriate for your child's teacher to be your friend on or off a social media site. This is one of the top problems that I have experienced at an elementary or junior high school. Some, not all, moms and dads seem to need or crave acknowledgement from their child’s teacher and pursue it to no end. By staying in contact with your child’s teacher for a 'way' to gain information puts that parent on a level separate from the other parents. What I'm hearing is that this is the way to gain gossip and learn about drama long before anyone else. I don’t like to be the one to say it but teachers are human too and when teachers or parents become too comfortable with each other it leads the conversation off that child’s education and into other areas that have no bearing on the relationship. If a teacher needs to relate information he/she can send a letter home or send a group email to all the parents. Parent conferences are also a great way for teachers and parents to connect about that child’s education and school experiences. I also wanted to say that there is no exception for students or parents to have a special or private contact arrangement with the teacher. I also don’t agree with teachers and parents going to lunches, meeting up at zumba, or inviting each other to their homes for dinners or parties; even if the party is for Candlelite or Pampered Chef. As a parent, if I need to contact my child’s teacher, I feel I can go through the front desk at my child’s school or I can send the teacher an email to their dedicated staff email address.
Wow - This is an awesome answer and I have to agree with you.
Absolutely not! I've seen too much on FB where young teachers are friends with their students and the sexual innuendos are numerous.
I am not sure for most part. But if teachers get to Facebook then students probably wont stay there.. For we don't want our classes to continue all the back home on Facebook and but teachers adding parents as friends will really be good for parents to get updates about the progress of their children.
If they have a different facebook for students and their parents to ask questions and for the teachers to post different homework assignments then that is a different story, but if it is their personal facebook, then no. I personally would never want to be friends with one of my teachers on facebook, that means that they can see everything you post, and that is weird because that is your teacher.
by arizonataylor 11 years ago
Should teachers and students be friends on Facebook?
by Paul Swendson 10 years ago
And if so, how?
by Tim Mitchell 2 years ago
High school students in Cassville, Missouri this year saw the discipline policy changed where corporal punishment is new to it. It seems to have been urged by the parents. The following is from their handbook:"CORPORAL PUNISHMENTCorporal punishment is the use of physical force as a method of...
by Shawn McIntyre 11 years ago
Teachers often complain about low pay; the claim to be overworked and under-compensated. The say that they deserve to be paid more, since they are responsible for teaching the next generation. Yet, when the subject of the ever falling standards and performance of students comes up, they rarely have...
by Seckin Esen 11 years ago
Do you think that teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn?
by TMMason 13 years ago
Well if you ask me Teachers should be friending the parents of their students... and not worrying about talking to the students.I would think the Teachers would want to talk to the Parents. But then again maybe not?...---"COLUMBIA, Mo. – As they prepare lesson plans for fall, teachers...
Copyright © 2024 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. HubPages® is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.
Copyright © 2024 Maven Media Brands, LLC and respective owners.
As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.
For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy
Show DetailsNecessary | |
---|---|
HubPages Device ID | This is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons. |
Login | This is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service. |
Google Recaptcha | This is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy) |
Akismet | This is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy) |
HubPages Google Analytics | This is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy) |
HubPages Traffic Pixel | This is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized. |
Amazon Web Services | This is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy) |
Cloudflare | This is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy) |
Google Hosted Libraries | Javascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy) |
Features | |
---|---|
Google Custom Search | This is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy) |
Google Maps | Some articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy) |
Google Charts | This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy) |
Google AdSense Host API | This service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy) |
Google YouTube | Some articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy) |
Vimeo | Some articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy) |
Paypal | This is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy) |
Facebook Login | You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy) |
Maven | This supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy) |
Marketing | |
---|---|
Google AdSense | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Google DoubleClick | Google provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Index Exchange | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Sovrn | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Facebook Ads | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Amazon Unified Ad Marketplace | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
AppNexus | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Openx | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Rubicon Project | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
TripleLift | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Say Media | We partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy) |
Remarketing Pixels | We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites. |
Conversion Tracking Pixels | We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service. |
Statistics | |
---|---|
Author Google Analytics | This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy) |
Comscore | ComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy) |
Amazon Tracking Pixel | Some articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy) |
Clicksco | This is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy) |