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Should Teachers Be Disciplined For Online Lives?

In a piece in the Los Angeles Times, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley argued that blog posts, status updates and photos about legal, private activities should be legal. He says that as public servants, teachers should not be subjected to the transparent conditions of celebrities without any of the benefits. So should teachers be held to a higher standard? Parents, teachers, where do we draw the line?

With the online communities surging and most school districts teaching 21st century skills, teachers are often scrutinized more severely than other members of society. I live in a very small community and quite often, I will be out and about doing errands, spending time with my family, or what you will and my concern has always been “The hostess/waiter/cashier, etc. is/was a student of mine/at the school I teach.” Because of this, I realized years ago that my college days are over and I am now seen as a role model, someone that must set a good standard for the children I intend to prepare for life after high school and prepare them to be productive members of society. It’s a burden that educators may knowingly accept before their careers begin while others may dismiss and think that because the school day is over, the responsibility is no longer valid. I’ve learned that posting too much information online can be detrimental to the educator in that some students will cross the line and blur it to their needs both in and out of the school setting. On the other hand, for some students it is a way to connect with the educator in ways that they are unable to during school hours because of time constraints and the busy schedule that an educator may have during school hours. I see the positives as well as the negative aspects of the arguments, but it is the responsibility of the educator to understand that once they enter the profession they are public figures in a community/society that may be held to a different standard than other members of the same community.

(Source: gjmueller, via dietcokeporfavor)