As mentioned in other posts, emailing with students is generally a good way to communicate. I keep a folder called "Student Communication" for all student emails. As others have posted, my students will email when they are absent, etc. The biggest advantage is for my procrastinators. I remind them that they can email me with questions or problems the night before a deadline. Even if we can't fix it, at least I know they are working on the assignment. Usually, I check email throughout the night and respond until about 11 PM. I haven’t had a time when there was a sensitive or personal issue. Depending on the issue, a face-to-face conversation with the student or with a counselor might be the way to go. Whether communication is in the classroom or virtually, we are all bound by the legality of mandatory reporting.
Added question for your comments – does your school have a policy of teachers and students being “friends” on Facebook??
I like the idea of having a separate folder for student e-mails! That will help keep records saved and easy to reference.
ReplyDeleteI am just beginning my graduate program, but I substitute teach in Loudoun County (where I am from) and even as a substitute we are prohibited to accept friend requests on facebook from students we teach. I'd imagine this is the same for teachers. Perhaps after graduation they are allowed to be "friends" on facebook. I think this can get people into a lot of trouble with pictures being posted.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a policy at my school probably because I am really in what you would call the country and internet is still not in most houses BUT personally I do not have an account and I think that teachers adn students should not have contact through something so personal.
ReplyDeleteI am not currently working at a school but the school I have helped out with in the past doesn't have a policy on facebook. I know several older teachers who are friends with their students on facebook and I personally think its wrong. (I am from a rural area and the teachers who become facebook friends with students tend to gossip about those students to other teachers, which to me is definitely setting a bad example for students and other teachers). If a teacher has a facebook profile, it should definitely be set on the highest privacy settings and they should not accept requests from students to be friends. I think being facebook friends is becoming too personal with the student.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments
ReplyDeleteHey, I took this class in the spring semester, but I'm still getting blog updates. I noticed this discussion about Facebook, and thought I'd share my friend's solution.
ReplyDeleteMy friend teaches in Fairfax County. She created a new Facebook account that only contains school related information. She also uses it to post reminders about upcoming assignments and the like.
Her original Facebook page is only viewable if you were already a friend with her. It is unsearchable. If old friends try to look for her, they find her school account. She will then friend them from her invisible account so that they remain separate.
I just thought it was an interesting solution if you are in a school who does not have a policy on the matter.
Great Idea. Thanks. I already do that in Blackboard, but they don't often look! They are already on Facebook, so it would show up on their new messages.
ReplyDelete