Teachers, Pupils, Facebook

[hc4361]

Teachers are advised they should be 'friends' with their pupils on FaceBook

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2837531/Teachers-warned-not-befriend-pupils-Facebook.html

Do they really need to be told this? I believe there should be no contact at all between teachers and pupils outside of official school activities. A quick 'hello' and nod if passing, no need to be rude, but 'friends'?

[whiskeryron]

How much does a couple of pounds of apples cost ( 1 for each pupil)

[Mamyalynne]

Depends on the apples.

[Prudie]

I can see it might have a value for the senior/college/uni level but most of those have their own internal systems where lecturers and students can interact on learning/assignment issues.

[ichkeria]

Facebook is a tool of the devil if devils use it.
Like a lot of things. That is self-evident.

A close friend of mine who was a teacher at a tough school avoided Facebook altogether, which was very wise in his circumstance
But it may be alright on an individual basis.

[sp1814]

Teachers should avoid interacting with pupils on social media - but I don't agree that social media in itself 'a bad thing' as long as you understand how to set security properly.

On Facebook, the only people who can see my posts are my friends and I'm 'un-searchable' by people I don't know.

The teacher/pupil rule should also apply to bosses and employees.

[New Judge]

"However my kids are having an excellent education, probably better than I got."

Either they or you must be very much the exception, hopkirk. With the exception of one or two people who have made considerable sacrifices to provide their children with a private education, I don't know of anybody whose children are receiving a better education than they did.

I have Facebook account which I have not looked at for probably three years. I only opened it to see what the fuss was all about and gave up after a few weeks because it was full of what I can only describe as unadulterated drivel. Teachers should have better sense than to get involved with such nonsense at all, let alone engage with their pupils using it. But many of them haven't and that possibly goes some way to explain the contention I made in my second paragraph.

[Mamyalynne]

I don't let anyone who posts drivel to remain on my Facebook list of people able to view my page.

[jim360]

My experience of Facebook started only recently and has been so far very positive. Just ignore the unadulterated drivel, which in reality is just a text version of what people often say and do anyway, and you are left with a place that allows you to socialise with people you wouldn't otherwise have ever been able to meet or talk to. Obviously that's not unique to Facebook but is a benefit the internet gives as a whole. I think people find in social media only what they expect to, regardless of what's actually there.

[Tuvok]

I won't have Facebook or Twitter on my computer etc.

When I was a kid a teacher was a neighbour - played with his dog, other teachers lived on the next street - quite often in looking at their minor bird, janny live up the lane, other teachers lived close by.

[pixie373]

I think it's unnecessary and unprofessional. Children already have every teacher's email address for anything they need. Facebook should be separate and if a teacher is "friends" with one- they would have to be friends with all.

[Mamyalynne]

It's funny but reading the last few replies has reminded me , a fair number of own teachers were friends/acquaintances of the family - my Headmaster lived in the next road to us too.

My daughters were taught by friends and relations of mine and now the same is true for their children as people they went to school with now teach my grandchildren.


But that's digressing, still as a rule no befriending on FB , seems the best and safest way for all.

[jourdain2]

I'd agree with not befriending existing pupils on Facebook, although the 'class page' mentioned earlier sounds like a good idea. I have a very small number of contacts on Facebook, but one of the benefits is that I am now in touch with an ex-pupil (of 15 years ago) and it is pleasant to follow her progress.

Contact outside school is slightly different. It was axiomatic not to live in the intake area of a school you taught in, but I was an athletics coach locally and also ran the school team. Several pupils, therefore, were in contact with me on a more informal 'out of school' basis when they joined the club, trained in the evenings/weekends and went to compete in league matches etc.. I experienced no problems through this.

[pixie373]

I think that's different with ex-pupils or different interests.

[seadogg]

Since when has a "friend" on FB been a friend- although quite a few contacts made among bird watchers and fell walkers have become valued acquaintances.

[Mamyalynne]

A 'friend' on FB can include family, friends you see often or occasionally - those you haven't seen for years due to distance and then people you have befriended online.


Years ago we had penfriends, some we met some we never did.