friending teachers on fb

[anniemae]

Just curious if your school has a policy on parents "friending" teachers on Facebook. Is it strange to be fb friends with your child's teacher? I honestly don't know how I feel about it. On one hand I think "why not" on the other hand, does it cross a line?

 

[tvguy]

My kids high school forbids students from having a Facebook account. Private Catholic school. Been discussed here before, but it is all a part of the program that parents agree to when they enroll their children. So friending a teacher isn't an issue. Not sure if there is a policy regarding the teachers being on Facebook, although my youngest who graduated 7 years ago has said she can't find any of her teachers on Facebook.
Given that Social Media use has dropped 23% this year, maybe the fad is going away.

 

[ols386]

My kids are grown, but I can't imagine being FB friends with parents of my students.

 

[tvguy]

My kids are grown, but I can't imagine being FB friends with parents of my students.

Okay, just heard back from a friend who is a public high school teacher. She is friends with some of her current and past students.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm friends with two of my middle school teachers (and they both have several thousand of their former students as facebook friends), then again, I was a student there from 78-81, so there's nothing inappropriate about it. LOL

Most teachers I know wouldn't friend their current students. It crosses a boundary between private/professional life.

 

[powellrj]

I am only facebook friends with my kids teachers that I know outside of school. During school, my kids were friends with lots of their teachers. I guess it could be a problem, but it never was with my kids. They have all graduated and still keep in touch with many of them.

 

[IDoDis]

I am friends with some of my former students who I taught when they were in elementary school and are now adults, some with children of their own. I'm also friends with a few parents of former students that go way back and some are parents of recent former students. I don't accept friend requests from current parents of students and most don't send requests. Although once a student has moved on and if a friendship had developed with that parent where we want to stay in touch then yes, we can be FB friends. I can control who sees what I post, so if I post something I don't think a parent needs to see or would care to see then they aren't in the group that sees it. My rule of thumb though is to only post things that are appropriate for all because once it's out there, it's out there. I only post a couple of times a month on FB anyway. I do read and comment on others' posts daily though and I enjoy seeing what my former students are up to.

 

[MrsDuck]

I teach high school. I will accept most friend requests after a student has graduated. NEVER do I accept parents while the student is still in school.

 

[Disneyland1084]

I live in a small, close knit community. Parents, students, teachers are friends on FB with each other. It's not uncommon here.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I work as an instructional assistant at an elementary school. We don't have an actual policy, but most teachers will not accept or initiate friend requests with parents or students. My kids went to school in the same district and I am now friends with some of their former teachers. However, they are now colleagues and not my kids' teachers.

In the 14 years I've been at my job, I have only ever become FB friends with two of my parents after their kids left my preschool program. One family lives in our neighborhood and we see each other at neighborhood events. Plus, their DD is in the same grade and friends with my DS. The other is a mom that I just really clicked with and want to stay friends with. No other parents have tried to friend me, and I can think of a few that I would block if they did!

 

[Poohforyou]

I personally think it's only acceptable if I'm actual friends with my child's teacher (which was the case once or twice). The only exception to that,for me, is if a teCher sets up a Facebook page strictly for school related information.

 

[diznygirl]

Small community here. I've been friends with several teachers from before my kids had them. So far it hasn't been an issue.

 

[anniemae]

I teach high school. I will accept most friend requests after a student has graduated. NEVER do I accept parents while the student is still in school.

that seems like a good policy.

 

[Allons-y!]

I won't friend students who haven't graduated or their parents. Most of the teachers I know do the same. The exception seems to be only those teachers who live and work in the same district.

 

[Allison]

My kids high school forbids students from having a Facebook account. Private Catholic school. Been discussed here before, but it is all a part of the program that parents agree to when they enroll their children. So friending a teacher isn't an issue. Not sure if there is a policy regarding the teachers being on Facebook, although my youngest who graduated 7 years ago has said she can't find any of her teachers on Facebook.
Given that Social Media use has dropped 23% this year, maybe the fad is going away.

You may have misread the question. It was about parents and teachers, not the students.

 

[3smithboys]

I am a middle school teacher and am not friends on fb with parents. The only exception being if I was already friends with them before hand... This has occured a few times... I graduated HS from the district that I teach in and taught kids of my classmates/friends.

 

[tvguy]

You may have misread the question. It was about parents and teachers, not the students.

Sorry. I have no issue with either. I am friends on FB with teachers my kids had 20 years ago.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Current students was very frowned upon, after graduation no problem. Parents/teachers, I don't see a problem.

 

[MrsDuck]

Parents/teachers, I don't see a problem.

I'm just curious... are you a teacher?

I'm not sure I'd want parents (who weren't friends first) knowing what was I up to on a regular basis - even though I post nothing objectionable... To each his own, I guess!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My wife isn't a teacher, but rather a front desk clerk. She learned early on that accepting friend requests from parents meant being asked to perform LOTS of work tasks outside of work. No Bueno.