As technology advances, kids are being exposed to increasing amounts of digital interaction. Cyber communication is even supplanting face to face. While there are advantages to social networking, there are times when it’s not appropriate. Speaking as a teacher and parent, I’m concerned about adults and specifically teachers communicating with students via text and social sites. Here’s why, plus suggestions for parents.
* Inappropriate adult-child interaction. A teacher’s contact with a child should be limited essentially to school time. If there’s a need for meetings or discussions, they should be conducted at school. Parents should be involved as much as possible. This may sound paranoid. Sadly, we live in a world where we can’t take chances. Often, those we’ve taught kids to trust have abused that trust to hurt kids.
* Limit digital interaction to blogs. Most schools don’t allow teachers to add kids as friends on Facebook. There’s no reason why they should. Social networks are just that–social, not work-related. Any communication between student and teacher should be school-related. If teachers want to list homework or reminders online, they can use a school provided or approved blog service. Via blogs, teachers can disseminate information generally with no chance for one-to-one, unsupervised communication. No one is made vulnerable this way.
* Treat cyber interaction like face-to-face. Think of it this way, parents. Would you want your kids talking regularly with teachers at home? Would you want them meeting up with teachers without you there? Would you want them corresponding privately with adults? That’s basically what texting and Facebook involve.
* Keep everyone safe . It’s not that we expect teachers to behave inappropriately with kids. Because some have, we have to punish the innocent with the guilty. Nixing socializing outside school safeguards everyone–kids from potential abuse and teachers from temptation or suggestions of impropriety. This system of checks and balances prevents abuse of power.
* Communicate. Talk to your child. Explain why don’t want them adding teachers or adults on Facebook. If your child’s teacher does these things, monitor interaction. Ask them to not to. Most teachers, the professional ones, won’t anyway. They’ll work with you and listen. If they won’t or if you feel uncomfortable, don’t ignore it. This could be a clue that all is not right. Talk to someone in administration.
Digital communication is a bubble. We don’t yet know what all the impacts will be. The best thing we can do is use common sense and keep kids safe.
