Teachers asked to 'unfriend' students on Facebook

[Francesca9]

Source: MSNBC

A school district in Florida is advising teachers not to "friend" students on social networking sites, claiming that teacher-student communication through this medium is "inappropriate."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38789410/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

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Do students want their teachers asking?

[iandhr]

1. I am friends with former teachers

from high school.

[Recursion]

2. Me too. But *current* teachers?

I can see the district's point. Though this smells of middle managers with too much time on their hands.

Then again, I've had graduate special problems classes that were essentially conducted via Facebook.

[southerncrone]

3. Teachers shouldn't "friend" students until they are out of their classes AND 18 or over.

It really is common sense. Any ethical teacher can see this could easily be misconstrued as a conflict of interest, or worse, establishing out-of-school relationships online. No different than calling a student on the phone w/o parent's knowledge. It's just ASKING for trouble.
JUST STUPID!

[LostinVA]

5. Yup

[LostinVA]

4. Why would any teacher friend a student?

I won't even friend coworkers, but I think teachers are crazy to friend a student, because of a zillion different reasons.

[Chemisse]

7. Once students graduate, I will accept friend requests from them

(I am a high school teacher), but I won't ask them.

It is a really nice way to keep in touch with former students, although it does have its drawbacks (like having to read about every thought that flits through the minds of a couple of dozen college-aged kids).

It is a stunnningly bad idea to be 'friends' with current students. I think most school districts are putting this rule in place now and announcing it to their staff, since there is always one teacher in the batch who doesn't really understand about boundaries and/or is lacking in common sense.

[LostinVA]

8. But that's not the same thing -- they aren't your student when they graduate

Not just because of accusations of misconduct re: sex, but just because they have no business knowing YOUR business!

[southerncrone]

9. I have the same policy. But I even then, I don't accept ALL of the requests.

I'm HS, too.

[msanthrope]

10. Because some people have no conception of boundaries. n/t

[KingFlorez]

6. I can understand this completely

Teachers shouldn't friend students on Facebook, it's just not appropriate.

[quinnox]

11. How else are teachers supposed to pick up the hot students?

I remember when I was in high school and a woman teacher liked me, lol. Anyways, I couldn't resist the joke.