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With technology at an all time high and not going anywhere in the future, it’s important to think about your digital imprint. What information are you putting out there for others to read? What does a search for your name show? Teachers need to be especially aware of this since they work with youth. That’s why today’s post features social media etiquette for teachers.
1. Know Your School or District’s Rules
Many schools have a technology agreement teachers must sign. Read through this. Yes, really – actually take the time to read it. Are you allowed to be friends with students? What about their parents? Knowing what restrictions your district has in place can save you headaches down the road. Some districts may have certain social media etiquette for teachers that you must follow.
2. Search Your Name
I was once given the advice to do a search for my name anytime I was applying for a new job. While I do think that’s great advice, you can even go a step further. Put a Google alert on your name. Do a search at least once a year. If you find something online that is untrue or could harm your reputation, consider getting it taken down. {You can try to get items removed by going here.}
3. Make Accounts Private
Set your accounts to private. Instagram allows this option easily. Facebook is a bit harder, but it can still be done. Look at your online presence. Are you alright with your students and their families having access to everything you’re posting? If not, you may want to reconsider before hitting publish each time and cleaning up older posts.
4. Think Before You Post
A friend of mine went through a really nasty divorce. She had created a Pinterest account and had started a board entitled “Funny Things I Hate About Him”. Thinking the board was private, she shared a bunch of memes about hating her soon-to-be ex-husband and jokes about men. His lawyer stumbled across this. She ended up not doing so well in the divorce settlement.
Why am I telling you a story about divorce? Because what would your principal, superintendent, or a student’s parent think about you if they ran across something where you are portraying education in a negative light. We all have bad days, but you truly need to think before you post, share, pin, or like something online. If you wouldn’t be comfortable sharing something directly in front of your boss, grandma, and minister – don’t share it online.
Even if you think you’re sharing something with just your BFFs online, please still think twice. When I was an administrator, I would often receive screen shots of private Facebook messages, posts on accounts that were not public, and more. Once you put it out there, it’s out there. Even if you delete it, you never know who may have kept it with the intent to share. Trust me, you do not want or need this headache in your life.
5. Don’t Add Students
Whenever possible, don’t add students as friends. Again, refer to your district’s policy. I know one teacher who got in trouble for being friends with her 12-year-old niece because adding students as friends was against school policy – whether it was family or not!
If you’re keeping your accounts private, not adding students is relatively easy. But they can (and will!) still find you, and they’ll scour through everything you’ve posted. And don’t think that just because you teach lower elementary students they won’t find you. They can, and they do! I’ve had students as young as seven years old find me online. Sometimes their older siblings that I’ve never taught have found me online and requested to follow me.
My personal rule? I won’t become your friend on any platform until you’ve graduated high school – regardless of whether I still work at the school you’re at or not. As for my public accounts (like Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest), I just make sure those are 100% student friendly. 🙂
While this list may not be all inclusive, it definitely gives you some food for thought. Social media etiquette for teachers will be forever changing, but at least this list will help you think through what you’re doing online and help you start cleaning up your social media accounts.
Do you have a tip or story that may save other teachers time and headache when dealing with social media etiquette for teachers? Please feel free to share it in the comments section below!
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