Whats your opinion on this?
By Seppy1984
@Seppy1984 (2145)
United States
March 24, 2012 11:12am CST
I just recently learned that there are some schools that had teachers sign a fire-able contract that they must delete their Facebook if they want to keep their jobs. Well from the town I'm from they too are trying to push this also. In my opinion I think it is very wrong. I feel that teachers have as much right as us non teachers to have a Facebook. Considering most of these teachers left their home state to travel to a new state to just have a good teaching job. They have every right as us to be allowed to socialize with their friends that they left behind just to go to a better place to teach. All they can come up with is that it is to protect the students. Well in my eyes if the teachers are not discussing the students or complaining about how the students are pains then what is it harming? All its harming is the teachers who use Facebook to keep in touch with their family and friends from their home state. When I heard about this I just flipped a lid, cause to me its taking the teachers constitutional rights away as I see it. Also the way I see it what if it is the students who request the teachers. I mean really sometimes students might have questions about a essay or term paper that they didn't think of asking at school or that didn't come to mind and if they can ask it through Facebook then at least you know the students really wanna try to learn instead of never asking and the teachers think that the students are just slacking off. To me Facebook is a very good thing to have. I feel that teachers should not get fired for having a Facebook especially if the teachers are not using it during work hours. Also in my eyes if they take Facebook away from the teachers then they should just have them sign a fire-able contract saying that they cant go to a bar to drink or socialize either then. My point here is that teachers should have as much right as us non teachers to be able to socialize after school hours rather it being a Facebook or going out. Please give me your thoughts on this.
3 people like this
7 responses
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
24 Mar 12
I think that it is very wrong that some States or areas are asking for teachers to do this. You've made very good arguments that I agree with in this discussion. Teachers should have as much right as anyone else to have a facebook, and as long as they are not using it to bad mouth the students, or contact the students in unlawful ways, then they should be allowed a facebook.
I can understand if the school systems say request that all students added to said facebook should be filtered into a group recognizable to the public as being their students, or block the students from seeing some unsavorable photos of said teacher. However normal use of facebook should be allowed.
1 person likes this
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
24 Mar 12
You have very great points there about filtering in those areas. Also now days we have the power in our hands to block people from certain areas of our Facebook for ours and others safety. I just hope that some day someone way smarter then me and higher up can speak these arguments to stop this from happening! Also I would love to see if the higher uppers of the school systems have a Facebook or not. This has had me wonder alot lately since I heard of this on Facebook.
@kirtricks (650)
• India
25 Mar 12
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@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
30 Mar 12
burrito88, you just lost me on your response, because we are not talking about teachers posting unsavory stuff or photos. We are simply discussing if its right that they should get fired for having a Facebook for socializing or for having one period. But do note thanks for leaving your comment. Also so far that I have seen I haven't seen any negative things posted by a teacher on their Facebook. Although Iv seen like other professional people post stuff that shouldn't even be posted.
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
25 Mar 12
This seems to be part of a trend. Some companies are demanding that prospective employees hand over their social networking passwords if they want a job. It seems to me to be the beginning of a push back to where employers owned their employees, called serfs in earlier times. It's a pernicious practice, and hopefully there will be enough indignant response from the general public to stop it.
Lash
1 person likes this
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
25 Mar 12
I did not that, I love the fact that you learn something new everyday just by posting discussions. I agree hopefully there will be enough indignant response from the public to get this stopped. I feel it is getting way out of hand with this.
@lordcaocao2025 (4098)
• Indonesia
26 Mar 12
I think it is really stupid. Facebook is like many communication device, it has many purpose. Depend on how you use it, it can be positive or negative. Making teacher give up their facebook account is almost like asking them to giving up their cell phones number.
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
26 Mar 12
You are very right on this, it is very stupid that's for sure. For me I tend to try to use mine for positive reasons. To me its a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends.
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
30 Mar 12
I agree its a great way to keep in contact with the parents. As I remember when I was in school teachers would give students notes to give to their parents but my friends would throw them away. So with Facebook it would be a great way to contact the parent on if they got the note or not as I know many students parents that have a Facebook. I have one and so does my parents. I feel it too is a positive social site to have.
@lordcaocao2025 (4098)
• Indonesia
27 Mar 12
Yes, facebook it is one of the best way to keep connected with people. It is very easy, and the best thing of it, it is also fun to use it. It is free and it could be use for many purpose. Rather than see the negative part, they should see the positive part. With facebook, teacher could even get connected with their student, and their student parents.
@almond24 (1248)
• Hungary
24 Mar 12
I think this is really unfair. What harm can it cause? I assume that those who are teachers at school, know the limits when it comes to facebook, too.
I know teachers who are on Facebook and it's a good way to stay in touch with the students. They can ask the teacher to clarify the lesson or homework, tell him or her if they are sick and can't go to school, etc. Also, they see that the teacher is a human, too.
This makes me mad. Teachers have less and less rights again, yet they are the people who teach the next generation, if anybody forgot this.
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
24 Mar 12
I so like your great points here!! This is also very true. The teachers should know the limits as you said, and if they don't then they should not have teaching jobs. The ideas you threw out there about the lessons and such is a great thing for students and Teachers on Facebook, also they can always filter and just monitor from time to time to be sure nothing is going on that shouldn't be at all!!
1 person likes this
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
24 Mar 12
Exactly! For me I use mine to read news and sometimes complain but mainly for news,games and helpful hints. This would be a great reason for teachers to have a Facebook, easy way to learn more about each student to give them the extra help at school to do better in school and to earn a better degree!
1 person likes this
@almond24 (1248)
• Hungary
24 Mar 12
And your point is excellent. If a student doesn't do well at school, or have behavioral issues, it's possible to find out if he has family/emotional/addiction problems etc. That way the teacher can be more understanding or maybe come up with a solution. Facebook can be helpful and not evil if someone knows how to use it.
@IrishGal77 (260)
• Ireland
24 Mar 12
Hi Seppy1984,
I also happen to think that teachers should be able to have a Facebook account, so what? Teachers are, in my opinion, as entitled to hold a social networking account as much as the rest of us. Many of us use Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends and I don't see why that entitlement should be revoked on the basis that one is a teacher.
One thing though; from a personal point of view, if I were a teacher I wouldn't be inclined to accept friend requests from students; I think that would be kind of inappropriate.
IrishGal77 :)
1 person likes this
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
25 Mar 12
I too agree with that, I wouldn't feel like a responsible teacher if I was to add students. But then again I'm not a teacher but I feel like this is just taking the freedom away. You do make a good point with the adding of students though.
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
24 Mar 12
I agree with you here too, because I know most students aren't going to want to have the teachers in contact with them out of school hours since they deal with school and the teachers for almost hours a day anyways! Yes this is a very long post when I get onto good discussions that makes my blood boil I just keep going...lol 
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8539)
• United Kingdom
25 Mar 12
I think that is quite unfair. As you point out, Facebook is merely a means of socialisation just like many others. I can understand teachers are being asked not to make or request friendships with students on social network sites or to keep their profiles hidden but deleting it completely is going a bit far. I only know of one place near me where staff are asked not to use Facebook. A lot of my friends are teachers and are on Facebook. It was only through Facebook that I managed to get in touch with some I had lost touch with. As I say there should be some basic common sense rules about it but it is unfair to ask people not to use Facebook at all. Also I don't see much point in a ban because there are plenty of other sites. And I think it has been mentioned. If there is unfair worry about confidentiality or mixing with students socially. The problems still exist in real life.
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
25 Mar 12
Very well said there, I agree with all that you said. I do believe making friendships with the students is what causes problems with teens thinking that them and the teacher is right to a normal relationship that should be present but to take the Facebook away is just so unfair. As I feel Social Networks is the only sites left for people to keep in contact with their friends and family! That is so true there too about the problems still existing in real life, and I feel that will never stop or end.
1 person likes this
