Social Media and Students

A question that I think many teachers ask themselves, especially middle and high school teachers, is, “How far is too far with social media?”

What I mean is, is it appropriate to “friend” students online? I am going to share my opinion with you and what has worked for me. You can take what you’d like and leave what you don’t like. J

Facebook: I do not friend my students on Facebook or allow them to friend me until after they’ve graduated or moved to another school. I know it sounds petty, but I don’t like the terminology of “friending” someone. Although I love my students with all my heart, I am not their friend. Think of it like good parents are not their child’s best friend. Facebook, to me, is also the most personal out of the social media I use. I have great teacher friends, however, who DO choose to friend their students. This does not make them a bad teacher at all. It’s just a matter of opinion and what works for you!

Snapchat: No. No, no, no. I don’t have a Snapchat, but what I do see, I don’t like. The only reason I can see me using Snapchat as a teacher is sending out announcements, which I already do on Twitter. To be honest, I’ve seen more bad than good out of Snapchat, so I don’t use this with my students.

Twitter: I do allow students to follow my personal Twitter account. Five or six years ago, I think this would have been unheard of. Personally, it works really well for me and my class. I can post announcements, I post encouragements, and I post pictures of cats. Students also love knowing about your personal life as a teacher. Obviously, there is a line as to what you share with them. I do not share intimate details of my friendships or my marriage. I do not share fights I am having (this is a HUGE problem in high schools right now). I do not tweet when I am angry or complaining, unless it’s something dumb like, “Guys, I’m so sad Chick-fil-A is closed right now!” With Twitter, I only follow my students back if they are posting appropriately, and they know this. One of the first questions my kids ask every year is if they can follow me on Twitter. I tell them yes, but that I will only follow them back if their account is clean, because otherwise I have to report their account. Sure enough, sometimes my kids either forget I’m following them or don’t forget and just don’t care, and they post something totally inappropriate. Usually, I talk with them and ask them to remove it. It actually provides a great opportunity for someone who actually has a relationship with them to talk to them about the consequences of social media. To be brutally honest, most teens aren’t going to listen to a pep talk in the gym about it from someone they don’t know or respect.

Instagram: I have the exact same rules as I do with Twitter, for the exact same reasons.

I think it’s important to remember that our kids just want to know that we are human too and that we have lives outside of school. Sadly, I think, we do not live in a time where the majority of kids find the guidance and love that they so desperately need at home. Many of them find it from their teachers. Social media, in some ways, is a way to get to know your students. It is a tool that, if used cautiously, can change your relationship in a good way with your kids.

What do you guys do with this in class? Any thoughts on other social media sites or apps?