Should teachers "friend" their students on FACEBOOK?

[DebbieB]

I don't even want to friend my family! I just keep it my friends. I don't want my family in my business and I don't want in theirs! My brothers are both divorced or separated and into internet dating, I don't want to mix with that. I just got friended by a cousin whose political views are opposite mine and he likes to argue politics, I ignored it.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Probably not a good idea.

As a teacher, you would be privvy to their whatever they have public to you and it may not all be good. It could put you in a compromising position.

Also--I'd have to think that as a leader of any group of people (Be it a teacher, manager, boss--whatever)--would I want those whom I lead to know personal information about me?


If it were me, I would have to decline.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I would consider creating two Facebook pages.

I don't even want to friend my family! I just keep it my friends. I don't want my family in my business and I don't want in theirs! My brothers are both divorced or separated and into internet dating, I don't want to mix with that. I just got friended by a cousin whose political views are opposite mine and he likes to argue politics, I ignored it.

I have more than one Facebook for certain reasons. There are just some people I don't want mixing.

If I were a teacher, I definitely would NOT be friending a student. However, I just asked my DS, and he IS Facebook friends with one of his teachers. DS is a HS Junior. Knowing this teacher (and I've known him since before he taught...he became a teacher after another career), I'm not surprised. Next time I see him, I'm going to ask him about it...if he has more than one Facebook page, and what's going on in that head of his. Hey...I guess I can just look at his friends list. Or, maybe just do a friend request to him.

 

[Mysteria]

2 accounts then yes. If you have a facebook account only for your students or other such people who shouldn't be knowing that much about your personal life then ok. If not then 100% not. You (general you as a teacher, not pointing fingers) are in a position of authority and one that requires you keep the respect of your students.

They don't need to know you partied till the break of dawn at that bachelor/bachelorette party in vegas last weekend. Ok I'm exaggerating but KWIM?!

 

[daisyduck123]

No.

I teach elementary school. We don't get the students sending friend requests...but WE DO GET SOME OF THEIR PARENTS .

No way.

 

[Linzybrooke]

Absolutely not. You don't need to know what they are up to in their spare time, and vice versa. You should also make sure that your page is set to private so that they can't view it even if they aren't your friends. As a teacher myself I only allow students who have graduated, and who I was relatively close to, to "friend" me. It is way to much of a liability to have students as friends. In fact, my district has a very strict policy about this in our code of conduct. For instance, lets say that one of your students posts photos of themselves clearly participating in inappropriate behavior, well now you are privy to that information. Do you want to be in that position?

 

[emer95]

No, no no no no no no no no.

I am a teacher and none of my students (or their parents) would ever be able to find me on FB. Just my humble opinion, but your students shouldn't even be able to find you on FB. Then you wouldn't have this issue. You can go to your profile and choose who can search for you. I chose "friends only." Yes, that means I may not get many friend requests, but that's ok. I can make the requests and then the ball is in my court. You can also choose "friends of friends" if you want to expand your circle a little.

 

[wdwgirl03]

No way, I am a teacher and would never add a student as a friend. Though hopefully the kids I teach don't have facebook since I work with elementary students.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

No. Don't accept and no explanation is necessary. If a student asks you about it, let them know your policy.

 

[SKWDW]

I would consider creating two Facebook pages. Make one a personal page that is just for family and friends, and make the other for school/students. Then when a student tries to friend you on your personal account, you can reject them, but then invite them on your teacher account.

I Agree Completely!

 

[TriMom]

NO, our school district has gone so far as to not allow teachers to have a FB page at all - a little extreme yes, but it does completely close any problems that can arise from FB gone awry.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

NO, our school district has gone so far as to not allow teachers to have a FB page at all - a little extreme yes, but it does completely close any problems that can arise from FB gone awry.

Can they legally do that???

 

[paintnolish]

I'd say no, certainly. Dh has former students (he worked in a HS and it was a different school and city than where he is now) on his, but they are grown up...in college or married. Also, dh is pretty boring. No party pics or anything to see on his FB!
I've had my own friends' kids FB me. No thanks. They are 9!

 

[Sparx]

Can they legally do that???

can your job really dictate what you're allowed to do in your personal time?

 

[bananda]

at my school, teachers weren't allowed to be facebook friends with students. but after i graduated, my whole business studies class added our teacher.

 

[onelilspark]

I'd say no. I never liked it, when in college anyway, when professors "friended" me. But I felt it would be rude to say no. I have a bunch of people that I do business with now "friends" with me and I don't like it. Same situation though, if they noticed that I didn't accept, it would be a problem. So I just have them on a limited profile.

Facebook has made the world a complicated place...

 

[Renesmee]

I like the idea of having a second fb page for your students. Your status updates could be homework reminders, LOL.

 

[Renesmee]

My boss is a friend on FB (he's a friend IRL also) but boy do I regret it. there is no way I could ever vent about work....I can't even make innocent comments about how my night went at work, he will tell me he doesn't appreciate reading stuff like that on my fb page.

 

[emma'smom]

I just say to my students at the beginning of the year, "I don't "Friend" students". Don't take it personally if I don't respond--it's just not appropriate. Also, our college strongly discourages it---so I can even support my position with college policy. Honestly, why would you want to? The few times I've come in contact with students on FB (ie. they have a mutual friend and I can see something they have posted to someone's status), I haven't been totally thrilled about it. I don't want to get a glimpse into their personal lives that I don't want to be liable for seeing (ie. underage drinking).

 

[Kath2003]

NO, our school district has gone so far as to not allow teachers to have a FB page at all - a little extreme yes, but it does completely close any problems that can arise from FB gone awry.

That cannot be legal. A teacher could contact students in a variety of ways - are they going to forbid a teacher from using any form of communication?

Teachers shouldn't friend their students on Facebook. I teach. I have a private Facebook profile. My private life and my professional life are as distinct as I can make them.

Teachers should have a clause in their contract forbidding them from contacting students online using anything other than school-based email accounts. It's that simple. There's no need to dictate the online facilities a teacher can use for their own personal use.

Would you ban a doctor from Facebook?
A nurse?
A pastor?