Inapproriate or Appropriate Teacher Behavior? - Page 2

[Altair]

I always say.... every teacher has a "dark side" ... you can't possibly be a role model 24-7!

I think it's more a demographic kind of thing. Educators are recruiting teachers from other fields now. I know of many programs that go into colleges and try to recruit the brightest and most ambitious people they can find, and then convince them that teaching is a valuable and worthwhile career. Hey, it worked for me! I was heading towards law school and/or Philosophy PhD at the time, and changed plans b/c of one of these programs. I have no regretted it.

So, a lot of the people being recruited are college students who are just used to blogging and using myspace and profiles and using the internet to keep track of their social lives. They don't all realize that parents would be concerned if their kids saw their profiles online. Their districts might even have rules against giving out the name of your school... but no one ever tells you this, and there are people just literally clueless that this could be an issue.

btw: my kids/parents have always had my IM and email addresses, and I don't see anything wrong with that. With that info they could find (legal, of course) stuff out about me online... but I don't list my school name anywhere.

[LdyBluNH@aol]

i would be uncomfortable with her listing teh school she works at

some weirdo decides to track her down and its going to be at the school so its a dual concern for her safety as well as the kids

[SneakyPie]

It's interesting -- I guess there's a dose of reality involved for both side, right? I mean, the teacher (and maybe lots of new young teachers) may not get that, as much as she certainly has a right to do whatever she likes, she is in a very public profession and her actions may be scrutinized, even inadvertently judged, by parents and students even when she is off duty. And parents have to figure out a way to be OK with the human-ness of teachers. Students, not so much -- kids in the US at least aren't as accustomed to seeing adults outside the roles they know them in.

Frankly I always think it's a bad idea to give out too much information about yourself on the internet. Not mostly out of fear, but because it's just inconvenient to be bothered by people you didn't mean to give details to.

[LunaMom]

I don't think it's inappropriate, because her behavior outside of school has nothing to do with her career.

However, I don't think it's necessarily a wise choice to list the name of her school, and perhaps it should occur to her that some of her students, co-workers, or her boss may come across this site.

But she has a right to do whatever she wants, I guess. That doesn't mean it may not bite her in the a$$ someday, though.

[jannan]

i think it is innapropriate she listed partying and is in a revealing costume. but as far as having her profile there that is her business

[jannan]

i think it is innapropriate she listed partying and is in a revealing costume. but as far as having her profile there that is her business

[miriam]

If you think it is wrong, then contact the school district and or principal and be sure it is pulled. YOUR children are more computer savvy than anyone adult in the school district and you should know that if one child knows, they will tell and show everyone.

This is why in days past, teachers were forbidden from doing this and were usually not permitted to even marry.

[boongirl]

Originally Posted by 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.

When I was in grad school and about to go do my student teaching, the head of the department gathered us all for a talk with the superintendent of the local school district. One of the things we were told is that becoming teachers does put you up for public scrutiny more than most jobs and that that is a fact we would have to live with if we became teachers. We were told that everything we do in our schools and everything we do in our private lives that becomes public knowledge will be put up to scrutiny be our employers and the families whose children we teach. She was not saying that is right just that it is a fact. And, I believe it. If parents can find out about it, then it should be respectful, towards them and towards yourself. Is that right? No. But it is a fact of teaching that we do a better job when we have the support and respect of the families we work with. Any teacher putting up on a public website that she enjoys barhopping and posts pictures of herself doing so is inviting the public, and most specifically the parents whose children she teaches, to judge her according to their morals. This is not reason to fire her or reprimand her. But if I were a parent seeing that, it would make me feel odd about her. I would wonder if she ever came to school hungover or if she ever let work slide in favor of going out. She has put it out to the world that she likes getting drunk. I enjoy that too but I don't do it often and I would not plaster pictures of myself drunk on the WWW. If it were me, I would surely tell her that her website makes me respect her less than before since it shows her in a light that is not professional. If she enjoys barhopping and drinking, so be it. But, she does not have to share that with the world. This is not the way she wants the children in her class or their parents to view her. She should have just kept her barhopping to herself.

[witchbaby]

Originally Posted by jannan

i think it is innapropriate she listed partying and is in a revealing costume. but as far as having her profile there that is her business

why, exactly? if you asked my mother what she did for fun, she probably list "having drinks with friends" in there. when she was still teaching, every friday, several of her teacher friends would get together at a local bar/restaurant and have drinks and smoke cigarettes. as this was near the schools at which they taught, many students ran into them while out with their families and friends-- some students even worked there. were they supposed to not be in public having fun because of the kids?

[Suzannah]

Originally Posted by miriam

This is why in days past, teachers were forbidden from doing this and were usually not permitted to even marry.

Teachers wereforbidden to marry as just one other way to keep women oppressed. You can say it was a morality thing all you want, but as long as men were making the rules regarding an occupation exclusive to wome, it's oppression (and vice versa, of course!).

I am a teacher, and although I agree that teachers are individuals with lives outside of the classroom, the teacher's profile is idiotic and shows her age and immaturity. Although I would not necessarily pull my child out of her class, I would probably say something to the teacher about it (as one professional with more age and experience to another with less), especially if I liked the teacher. I teach in the south, and my district has a morality clause. A teacher could be put on some type of probation for that type of posting, or fired if they had worked in the district less than three years.

Again, though, for me it comes back to this: "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." (probably badly paraphrased, and I forget who said it, but you get the point!)

[browneyedsol]

A second grader at our school happened upon her teacher nude in the steam room at the YWCA. Oops. Teachers indeed do have lives outside school!

I am a teacher. I am extremely careful about what I post publicly and it would be darn hard to find my blog. Interests that would be obvious I leave out of my profile, etc... It creeps me out to even think of the wrong parent getting a hold of my blog about my personal life, even though I don't have any strange things to hide. I'm just more personal and private. If I were this teacher, I would be mortified, but that's just me. And I wouldn't be this teacher, because I don't party. I do, however, have a past life in the theatre and have done controversial productions. I sometimes want to dabble in a good fringe show, but if it's controversial I get concerned about the judgment of some parents. So, that bothers me about teacher/ parent relationships. We are people with other interests. I miss my creative life and need to work my nerve back up with that.

[writermommy]

I wouldn't be bothered by it either. I do think she is foolish for putting up so much personal information, such as her school, name, town, etc. But, it's more a safety issue and shows her age. Younger people are stupid about this and don't realize the very real danger. I used to tell my step dd about this all the time. I would ask her, "How do you know that 16 year old girl you're talking to isn't a 45 year old male pervert?" It's a sad fact. You never know who is reading what you write. I never put up information about my town, real name, address, kid's information or anything else some freak might use to harm me or my girls. This may sound paranoid, but it's better safe than sorry!