I came across this today and thought it to be pretty appropriate:
Blogging Teacher
In quick summary, a teacher has been suspended (with pay) from the school she works at for posting disparaging comments about students (neither students nor school were named specifically) in her personal blog.
It raises many interesting questions beyond the obvious "what was she thinking?"
Teachers have protected rights to free speech, personal expression, and vocalized bouts of frustration. Teachers get pissed at students, and students get pissed at teachers- I believe it's part of the deal. However, it seems to me that any educated adult who is in the business of working with young people should be aware enough to realize that, whatever it is, WILL surface. They are way better at the internet than most adults (well, maybe just me...who knows). At the very least, she shouldn't have put her picture on the blog. She probably wouldn't be in this situation if she hadn't.
I started teaching before getting a facebook, but as soon as I did, I put mine on lockdown. Over the years students have friend requested me, and I always deny them. Not because I don't like them, but because I don't need them seeing what I did on Friday night, or the pictures of me with a beer, or any of the numerous obscenity laden posts that wind up there. And in the reverse, I don't need to be all in their business either.
The number of cases where social networking sites and blogs have caused professional/workplace issues is growing, and people seem to just refuse to learn their lessons. We live in a society where everything is out in the open if you look hard enough, no matter who you are. It's allowed people to carefully craft images of themselves, which may or may not be true, and on the flip side, it allows one post/picture/comment to completely shatter any personas or reputations one may have developed. You've got to be careful out there.
ReplyDeleteI saw this news last week and tweeted it to friends. After sending that tweet, it made me realize about my social networking as well. I actually tweet both personal and school topics on my twitter account. I recently met an artist entrepreneur last week and we talked about establishing more than one accounts for such things. She keeps her's separated from her business & personal. I'm usually careful about my tweets but after this incident I may end up making another account soon.
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