We can go almost anywhere... a restaurant, concert, beach, library, park, or even our couch and you will undoubtedly find someone perusing social media. It's the first thing we do when we wake up in the morning and often the last thing we do at night. In between those hours there is a lot of swiping, scrolling, sharing, commenting, liking and messaging. Social media use has some good factors, but there can be negative kickback from social media use as well. This is why it is important to know where to draw the line. This is especially true for educators where things can quickly turn from inspirational teacher and super colleague to the being the focus of a personnel investigation... or even worse, you can find yourself unemployed. weareteachers.com gives of some great dos and don'ts for social media.
Do's Stay in contact with your students through the power of texts.
This offers an opportunity for improving their academic performance. You can also send reminders about due dates, answer questions about homework, and give tips about an exam. These texts should always be sent through a third-party app like Remind or ClassDojo.
- Don't connect directly with students.
Although this may seem obvious, there is always a story about a teacher who has gotten in trouble for being too friendly. No matter how pure your intentions, never give a student your personal cell number to text each other. Do not follow a student's social media account and refrain from commenting on something a student has posted online [unless it is related to an academic assignment]. - Do follow colleagues you know, respect and like.
Networking and staying connected to your peers can not only improve your work environment, but can be a powerful means of collaboration. - Don't follow colleagues you don't know, don't respect, or don't like.
This can be considered trolling. - Do share what you are proud of.
This gives insight to who you are beyond the classroom. But careful not to post anything personal, controversial or inappropriate, however. - Don't share personal pictures or tag other teachers.
Steer away from booze pics and pics on the beach if your platform is public. Students and parents will most definitely be checking them out. If other teachers want to share something, leave it to them. - Do encourage students to make the most of their social media accounts.
This can provide a means for creative storytelling. Furthermore, using social media platforms as the foundation for class assignments, can show students there is more to social media that duck lips and selfies. - Don't use social media to post negative reflections of your profession.
Using social media to complain about students, administrators or the excessive work hours can start a PR crisis. The only narrative about our profession should be of caring for kids, working hard and enjoying our craft.
