what do you think about banning teachers from contacting students over personal facebook pages or other?

[desmeran]

social media?

are we so concerned with the possibility of inappropriate behavior that we're blocking useful tools for positive relationship-building? did you ever have a teacher who helped you out by showing an interest in you beyond the classroom?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/nyregi...ml?_r=1&hp

[T-Mama]

I think that's iffy.

In the one sense I think it's great if a teacher wants to genuinely help a student outside of school. I'm all for that. I wish more teachers were like that.

But then you have the parents who feel threatened by that or feel that the teacher is over stepping the boundaries. Then you have the teachers who engage in an inappropriate contact/relationship with their students. That's not ok.

I don't think it should be fully banned, but I do think it should be closely monitored.

[Welcome to Holland]

I think facebook should be for friends, and friends only. I'm not friends with my boss on facebook and I really don't care if I'm missing out on "positive relationship-building". My boss does not need to see who all of my other friends are, or pictures of my kids/ husband.

One of my teachers recommended a book to me once, which I enjoyed, but other than that, I never did anything with my teachers outside of school. One time a teacher offered me a ride home because it was raining and I said no (thanks) because I didn't want to be stuck in a car with only him and have to have a conversation with him. There wasn't anything inappropriate probably, but I still didn't want it.

[♥Fancy♥]

I don't see how the relationship is different on fb than it would be in person. I don't think it makes inappropriate behavior any more likely to happen if they are on facebook. What is so wrong with people? If a teacher is trying to pick up on a student, obviously they are creepy both online and in person. FB does not actually cause inappropriate behavior. People are always responsible for what they do.

I did have teachers who supported me outside of the classroom. Plenty of teachers who actually took an interest in what I was doing in my free time. It wasn't like they were trying to build a secret relationship. They can't stop the class and ask how your art is coming along or how you like whatever new activity you started, so they have to ask after class. It isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's the only time some kids get any attention at all. Why would someone want to take that away? I am all for banning teachers from requesting passwords, usernames, and insisting students "add" them. That is invading privacy and definately doing more harm than good.

[ms manners]

Teachers have been able to build positive relationships with students for thousands of years without the help of FB. :o)

I think it's a good idea to limit their relationship to a professional one, rather than personal.

Some of my teachers were very supportive in school, but they limited it to that.

[Jenny]

I thought that's common sense. Kind of sad that somebody felt that a written rule is required so teachers don't bypass parents to privately contact students outside of school.
When I was a teen, one of my teachers was concerned about me. He called for a private parent/student/teacher conference at the school, after school hours. He took the time to help me but didn't go behind my parents' backs.

[happygirl836]

Hard to say I am not even a school teacher but I teach a kids karate class and I don't friend teenage students. I feel that there does need to be some separation. I do have a private life and some of it is not appropriate to share with teenagers. Granted I am not posting naked pictures of me online or pictures of me totally waisted but there are some things that would be inappropriate to share + its my private life they don't need to know that my uncle died yesterday or whatnot. If I friended my students I would also feel obligated to "police" their accounts and that is responsibility I do not want. I am just a karate instructor I see these kids 2x a week for an hour (VS normal school hours) and I feel that I can establish positive meaningful relationships with them without the use of facebook.

However I do use Facebook to pass information: we have a group web page where I post important information and the students can post but the page is for discussing our karate program only. I personally think that is fine and tends to get information quickly.

[Big Daddy R]

Me personally never had or know anyone for your second question. As for the first one I am on the fence about this. It has great potential in either direction. I think there needs to be boundaries and they need to be maintained.

[Artie Lange Fan]

I see nothing positive about Facebook except the ability to share pictures and get the news (and store coupons/sales).

I frankly find it to be totally useless, mundane stuff as far as the social aspect (of course I am on it all the time though) and I totally agree that teachers and students should NOT be FB friends, no need for it and there definitely need to be boundaries.

I don't even have co-workers as FB friends.