Inapproriate or Appropriate Teacher Behavior?

[DoubleOven]

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[RiverSky]

Originally Posted by DoubleOven

A young, new teacher at your child's elementary school has a public AOL profile containing her first name, town and state where she lives and the name of the school she teaches at, making it simple to identify her should you know her screen name or do a simple search.

Actually, I think it's very inappropriate that she has the name of the school she teaches at listed.

Perhaps you could IM her and request that she make her profile more private and remove the school reference. Personally, I think it is inappropriate, the whole thing.

. I think that if you IM her about your concerns, she will take care of it. If she doesn't, then I suppose you could consider notifying the school, but hopefully you would never have to do anything drastic like that.

[Jane]

I don't think it's inappropriate, but I suspect she will find that it's in her best interests not to have it. Many new teachers talk quite a bit about themselves or allow kids to know more information than the veteran teachers I know. I think there are a ton of reasons, but it just seems to happen over time. As a former teacher, you probably know that already.

If she were advocating illegal drug use, or was underage while drinking, it would probably be inadvisable. Does her employer school district have a morality clause? Some do. She might check with the union just to make sure.

[alegna]

Not something I would do, but I think it's fine. I don't think that it's fair to expect teachers to behave differently than their peers just because they're teachers. So she's in a low-cut dress- so what? So she's drinking- so what? (I assume she's of legal age...)

She's a human being with a right to live her life how she wants and we do still have free speech in this country....



-Angela

[KangaTwo]

As a parent, I'd be very disturbed if I came across a teacher's profile like that - especially if it was a teacher my kids would have contact with. It's unprofessional, at best.

I'm on my way to certification and I would never even consider combining where I teach with that content. Parents get offended way too easily - just not a smart thing to open yourself up for.

[stik]

The profile doesn't bother me. An AOL profile is not, and is not supposed to be, a professional communication.

Teachers have a right to public, non-work-related expression just like everyone else. I think it's silly to get worked up over the name of the school - depending on where she lives, it's just as easy for students and parents to run into her at the grocery store, at a bar, or at a party as it is for them to find her AOL profile. And they already know where she works.

Parents can be easily offended, but that doesn't give them the right to determine what aspects of her personal life a teacher makes public outside her interactions with students.

[CarrieMF]

It would not bother me at all. Teachers are humans with lives outside the schools and what they do within thier outside lives is thier own personal business. If they choose to make that private than that is their right.

[bri276]

I'm also in the wouldn't bother me camp. If she were actually naked or doing something illegal, then yes, but drinking what APPEARS to be alcohol and wearing a revealing *costume*, not everyday clothing, is acceptable behavior for someone over 21 IMO. She may not be the schoolmarm type but that doesn't mean she's not a good teacher, and children should not be online without supervision anyways, especiallly if their parents don't want them exposed to something like that because there is *way worse* stuff online.

[MyLittleWonders]

IMO, she's allowed to be human just like any non-teacher out there. For her personal safety issues, it may not be smart of her to list her name and where she teaches ... I think there's such a thing as too much information going out there. But, in terms of what she posted on her profile - her job/career might be an elementary teacher, but that doesn't mean her life is an elementary teacher, iykwim. I still remember the day, back when I was teaching, that I saw one of my 4th grade students in Victoria's Secret. I was shopping, she was waiting with her older sister for her mom to finish up her shopping. I heard her sister say, "Hey, ___, isn't that your teacher?" Poor thing, she was mortified - I mean seeing your teacher buying bras/underwear at Victoria's Secret! My point is, this woman is more than just a teacher and she has just as much a right to do any legal activity that any other woman/person has.

[Stephanie L.]

When I was a teacher's assistant (by day) I was also a cocktail waitress by night. I think everyone has a right to do what they want to do.

BUT I don't think that she should give out too many details about her work like the name or location of the school where she works. It does seem to be mixing business with pleasure and that's unprofessional.

[KangaTwo]

I just see being a teacher as being a role model, and we've got enough role models out there, namely in the music and film industries, who have their less than appropriate behaviors broadcasted constantly. No one's trying to tell them to change what they're doing, but it's still not things I want my kids, or students, to emulate.

I guess I'm just the sore thumb wherever I go. My POV is always way off from the mainstream, but I have no plans to change that. Oh well.

[hellyaellen]

I don't think its very smart of her to list where she teaches on her AOL profile but I don't think its something I'd get all worked up over as a parent. If my kid were to come across a teacher's profile that was online I think I would use it as a "teaching moment" and talk about how easy it was to find and what she might have done smarter. I would maybe mention it to her as a friend concerned for her safety if I felt close enough to her or strongly enough about it.

[stik]

I think it's a slippery slope when we start looking at teachers's personal lives as evidence of professionalism (or the lack thereof). Her activities are legal for someone her age. Her AOL profile is not intended as a means of communication with students and parents. It is not affiliated with a school website or directory. It does not pertain to her work or qualifications. As such, it's a mystery to me why a parent would look it up in the first place.

[DoubleOven]

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[turtlemama77]

Uh....it sounds like many of you would be surprised at just how many teachers party it up on the weekends. Hehe.

I was a 5th and 6th grade teacher by day and taking bartending classes on my own time.

As far as the profile, it probably wouldn't have been something I would have done, but that's because I tend to be a bit more private than that, you know, thinking about my safety. There are some weirdos out there, and I wouldn't want them knowing exactly where I work. I don't think I ever named the school I worked at online. I don't think I ever named any of the places I've worked online in a blog or chatroom if it was easy to find (I worked at Arby's for a while, and talked about that, but there are hundreds of Arbys restaurants, so I didn't feel the need to be all secretive about that).

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by stik

I think it's a slippery slope when we start looking at teachers's personal lives as evidence of professionalism (or the lack thereof).

I agree.

I think it would be inappropriate for the teacher to give students her screenname given this profile. But otherwise, I don't think it is a problem at all.

[amydidit]

Only thing that would bother me is that she lists the schools name on her profile. Other than that I don't see a problem with it. It's her personal life, and last time I checked, becoming a teacher doesn't mean you stop being an individual.

[Annikate]

Not something I would've done while teaching (even if I did hang out in bars), but hey, she's entitled to have a life too yk?

While I think it's a little ignorant on her part to list the school that she teaches at, I don't necessarily think it's inappropriate. She just sounds a little young and immature. (Which does not mean she can't be an excellent teacher.)

[LovemyBoo]

I with most of the pp's. I wouldn't do it, myself, but she's entitled to a personal life. She's not doing anything illegal and so long as her nightlife isn't effecting her job performance, well it's none of your business.

Also, I guess I consider someone who can have a fun, risque side but still be an excellent teacher a good role model. You gotta have fun! :

It's okay that it bothers you. I'd be bothered if I found out one of ds' teachers was an avid supporter of Focus on the Family. But so long as it didn't interfere with her work and I felt she was a good teacher, it's not my business.

[DoubleOven]

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