Comments on: A Facebook teaching moment

By: SuperSub

SuperSub — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:44:45 +0000

The only way to make this a “teachable moment” is to publicly hammer these students with whatever consequences are available.

Why? Telling these kids that their behavior is bad doesn’t work- they’ve already heard it. Educating them about online privacy just makes them better able to hide their activities. Hitting them with consequences like parental notification or bringing in the police or CPS if necessary might actually get them to think twice before drinking, doing drugs, or having sex.

We are not their friends or older siblings. I don’t give a darn about what my students think of me as long as they respect me as their teacher. As teachers we are in loco parentis and are responsible for upholding some sort of ethics or morals, even if the parents do not.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:30:37 +0000

Good grief! We have problems with our kids because we are afraid to be responsible adults..just want to be “liked” by kids. I see this as a problem with many of my daughter’s classmates – mom/dad can’t say no to their kids. Step up and exercise authority.

By: Lightly Seasoned

Lightly Seasoned — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:19:33 +0000

Rusha: I discuss the content privately with the child. I also let the child know that I am going to talk to the social worker and that she may call the child down. In my greener years, I used to agonize over the trust issue — the kid is truuuuusting me and I’m going to break it! Much angst. Now I am older and wiser and I have learned that when these things are written where I am to read them, the child is asking me for help, not secrecy.
.

By: Margo/Mom

Margo/Mom — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:56:35 +0000

BTW–”respect for adults is non-existant. Cheating is rampant and supported by the students’ parents.”

Certainly the actions describe above show little respect for the adults in students homes–but my understanding from some teachers is that cheating is supported by school staff and administration when it comes to standardized testing.

By: Margo/Mom

Margo/Mom — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:52:09 +0000

Miller:

You missed my point. Children may or may not be missing out on critical lessons at home. What your school is teaching, apparently, if what you describe is accurate, is that the adults in your school do not trust, nor have relationships with the adults in students’ homes, and that further, the adults in the school are not to be trusted, as they say one thing and do another.

Personally I have a great deal of respect for the concept of class advisory periods if well used. They are among strategies that can ensure that all kids have a relationship with at least one adult at school. What you describe, however, bears little to no resemblance to relationship building. I don’t know if some idiot has actually written a curriculum based on mining students for spicy details about their homelife, or if this is just the understanding that has been layered on and filtered down. Easy to happen in a cynical environment.

By: Miller Smith

Miller Smith — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:04:03 +0000

Margo, we are now assuming that the students have little or no “home training”-as the term we use-and the students need an adult with good sense to sow the children how to behave in very common ways.

Our children fight all the time about anything and everything. The don’t say ‘thank you’ at the appropriate times and respect for adults is non-existant. Cheating is rampant and supported by the students’ parents.

We have some serious problems.

By: Rusha Sams

Rusha Sams — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:55:18 +0000

I agree that the teacher should wait until students graduate from high school before “friending” them on Facebook. But even if this doesn’t happen, what have any of us done when we have read journal entries, essays, notes left in desks, etc. that contain more information than we really want to know or need to know? How you handle “private” information contained in a journal is always a tough call.

By: anon

anon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:16:22 +0000

“One has to wonder what the lessons are that are missing at home.”

One may care which lessons they are missing at home. But, school personnel should not be permitted to inquire about these things unless they have clear evidence of abuse. Otherwise, it’s none of the school’s business. The primary business of the school is teaching content and skills–nothing more.

Perhaps if schools focused on their primary job, they would not have the time to focus on things that are none of their business and the schools would improve. Maybe.

By: Margo/Mom

Margo/Mom — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:53:13 +0000

Miller Smith says: “my high school is getting ready to have “class advisory” periods during the week to teach children things the parents are failing to teach them at home,” and continues: “we are told that we are to tell the students that their conversations with the teachers are confidential. We are then told to report any illegal or harmeful activity the students tell us.”

One has to wonder what the lessons are that are missing at home.

By: anon

anon — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:59:57 +0000

Miller said, “We will be asking about violencein their home.
We will be asking about drug and alcohol use in their home.
We will be asking if they hve guns (legal or not) in their home.
and ther is much more.”

Exactly why my kids go to a non-government school and another reason why government schools have failed. These things are NONE of the school’s business.