Social networks can cause us all headaches but it’s a special kind of pain for teachers, especially younger teachers or those who are the early adopters of technology. The raging debate is whether or not it’s ok for a teacher to “friend” a current student among their friends on Facebook or another social network.
In this week’s New York Times Magazine’s Ethicist column, Randy Cohen struggles with a version of this issue: whether or not the children’s privacy is at risk when the teacher is a friend. What responsibility does the teacher have to correct actions they see online that are illegal, unethical or break school rules? It’s an important point, though I still worry more about this from the parent’s perspective and my desire to keep my children safe. They still lack judgment about what to post and who to allow within their most intimate circles. Remember, a friend in a social network likely has access to your information, comments, photos and other posts that a stranger does not. The latest changes to Facebook’s privacy settings may help a teacher or student who wants to find the right balance and participate in this important online dialogue while at the same preserving their privacy and separating their worlds from inappropriate scrutiny.
As a parent, I’m not at all comfortable with teachers “friending” my high school aged and younger children. I’m sorry, I know that makes me hopelessly un-cool and out-of-date, but in general I don’t want adults to have direct access to my children without my knowledge. In my ideal world, the teachers can talk to them during the school day or call them on the house phone. I know, metaphorically speaking, that train has already left the station. My children are already turning their homework in by sending it to the teacher via email and posting at online homework sites. My older children have cell phones and give their school and teachers that number as a contact. At least I can see who calls my children by checking the phone and the bill.
I also worry that this casual connection between children and adults puts the teacher at risk. There’s such a chance that a kid who is exploring the teacher’s world will see things not meant for their eyes. A photo, a comment on a teacher’s friend’s photo, it can all be so innocent but turn so serious in the wrong context. Many schools agree with me and have policies dictating teachers should avoid their current students within the social networks or ask that teachers not participate in social networks at all.
At the same time, not every child has involved, loving parents. A teacher might be the sole caring adult in the student’s world or the one voice that tells them they can achieve their educational dreams. There just isn’t enough time in the school day for each teacher to spend one on one time or get their message through to these at-risk students. And there’s a terrific incentive to have an open environment where one child’s question about an assignment can benefit all the students equally and keep a student on track until the next instructional day. A teacher should be concerned if not all their students have access to computers or are allowed to join social networks. It would be unfortunate if an interaction appeared to suggest favoritism or excluded any one child.
I hope that schools and teachers will work with their PTA/PTO groups to set a policy about email, social networks and any form of out of school contacts between adults and youths. It’s a tough situation but one best dealt with as openly as possible to ensure we protect all involved parties.