Today I became aware that the" dreaded" law had come into effect, the one saying a teacher and student could not be facebook friends or follow each other on twitter or any other social networking web site. I began to cry, it made me so angry. I am a teacher. I was called by God to teach. I love my students, but not in a weird or bad way. I see them for the unique individuals that they are, so full of potential, regardless of what the world may tell them. I teach special education, it's my calling in life. It's a whole different world then a "regular" classroom. There has to be a certain level of trust in that environment. In my classroom I have always had an open door policy with "my kids" and their parents. I want the students to know I am not only there to teach them, but to support them, to listen to them, to help them in any way I can. I would never judge them for the personal choices they made. They could talk to me and not worry that I was gonna tattle on them if they needed to vent to me about a situation they found grossly unfair. I encouraged them to be open and honest with me. We could discuss things, with the understanding that I would report anything that was harmful or illegal that they might be involved in, such as abuse.
Now I feel like I have to slam shut a door that I promised would always be open because the law now states that it is improper for a teacher and student to have the ability to speak in a private manner. I realize that there is a fine line that can be crossed in which the student looks at the teacher as not an authority figure but as a friend instead. I know the difference between the two roles and I work hard to keep that clear always. There is not one thing wrong with being an adult friend to a student under the age of 18. I never made it a secret to parents that I was telling their child that I would always be there for them even after I was no longer their teacher. I am in fact friends on facebook with many of my former and current parents of the children/students I work with in the public school system. Not long ago, we were encouraged to be an adult friend to a group of students in our schools. Advisory groups were designed so that each student had a specific teacher to turn to as a friend. To encourage the students to feel in a way safe, like they always had someone to talk to about stuff that might be bothering them or upsetting them. Hmmm...
Stay tuned because I am quite sure I will write more as this goes along.
Now I feel like I have to slam shut a door that I promised would always be open because the law now states that it is improper for a teacher and student to have the ability to speak in a private manner. I realize that there is a fine line that can be crossed in which the student looks at the teacher as not an authority figure but as a friend instead. I know the difference between the two roles and I work hard to keep that clear always. There is not one thing wrong with being an adult friend to a student under the age of 18. I never made it a secret to parents that I was telling their child that I would always be there for them even after I was no longer their teacher. I am in fact friends on facebook with many of my former and current parents of the children/students I work with in the public school system. Not long ago, we were encouraged to be an adult friend to a group of students in our schools. Advisory groups were designed so that each student had a specific teacher to turn to as a friend. To encourage the students to feel in a way safe, like they always had someone to talk to about stuff that might be bothering them or upsetting them. Hmmm...
Stay tuned because I am quite sure I will write more as this goes along.
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