Teachers and (ex) students on Facebook

[Lynnv]

Personally, I don't think teachers should friend anyone that is still in high school (or obviously, younger).  When they get to college, graduate, or turn 18, you can friend them.  I don't think it's so much a matter of "is this weird in a creepy way", but rather you are an adult holding other adult conversations that non-adults shouldn't be privy to.

I would disagree with the bolded above. 

We have friends whose children will never be in DH's school and they have asked to friend both of us-and we said yes. 

The only thing on our pages that could be considered by some to be inappropriate for kids is that both of us have been known to post a link to a good brewery or a beer event....but we also know that our friends have done the same and don't feel it is inappropriate for their kids to see.  I am not sure why it would be inappropriate to friend those kids when they ask.

DH won't friend students at his school who have not graduated, but I don't think he needs to limit everyone who is still in school/underage....just everyone that is still in HIS school.

[Sharnita]

I don't even "friend" students when they have graduated.  Some have younger siblings who are or will be in my class. 

I do have a few former, graduated students who have sent me e-mails to my school address or even stopped to see me and give me a hug at school.  I am fine with that as they are going through my professional channels and there is no appearance of impropriety or clandestine activity.  i do not want them to contact me through private means simply because I think it can appear questionable.

[Zilla]

My younger dd's teacher befriended me on facebook and my older dd as well.  Due to different bell schedules. older dd often visits younger dd's school and she gotten close to the teachers.  I don't see an issue with this.

Being brave and hitting it off with older dd's teacher, I sent a friend's request to her.  Haven't heard anything and I won't "remind" or ask about it.  Maybe her policy is similar to yours or simply wish to keep her page for private and not "professionally" which is also fine with me.

So either way is fine and your policy is perfectly reasonable.

[Murphy]

H2B teaches high school and receives a lot of friend requests from his current and former students. He ignores them all as he does not feel it appropriate to know them (or have them know him) through such a platform. A student teacher at his school last year had her placement terminated as she friended several students in her home class and the content of her facebook was deemed in appropriate by the education authority. What exactly was deemed inappropriate was not specified by the entire school staff were advised to reject friend requests from current students and certainly not to send any out.

[MissManager]

I'm not a teacher but I'm a contract worker at a high school, I coach color guard. Because of that I'm not legally bound to stuff that regular teachers are. The teachers are no longer allowed to add students as Facebook Friends, they can keep the students they already have but can't add any new ones. My personal policy is I don't seek out students to add. I'll accept their friend request. I also keep my Facebook PG... I'm friends with my mom So I don't put up anything that I wouldn't want her to see.

[Dogface]

My high school band teacher friended me a few weeks ago, but I'm a senior in college now, so there's no weird issues with too close student-teacher relationships. I'm pretty sure he doesn't friend any of his current students, either; as far as I can tell, he knows better than to do stuff like that. He was pretty close to us band kids and he doesn't post anything inappropriate or anything like that, so his friending us isn't bothering anything or anyone (especially the school). Heck, he's friended most of our parents, too (mine included).

Edited because it's late and I wasn't making much sense. I'm not sure that I am now. XD

[toontownnutter]

Not a teacher but a parent volunteer at my daughter's school and lots of the kids request me but I decline. The only child I have on my FB is my own son and I don't see why I should keep my FB PG.

A child from my mum's archery club requested my mum and mum left it until the next meet and explained to the dad that the child had requested and that although what my mum posts is PG what my sisters and I sometimes post on Mum's wall isn't PG and the dad was OK with that, it didn't appear to worry him but my mum did the right thing.

I kind of feel sorry for teachers having ex students (who are still children) on their friends list, I feel teachers are entitled to a private life beyond their students (past and current) I haven't added any of the teachers from my daughter's school.

[LadyClaire]

Not a teacher, but I do work at a University. I do not friend students or former students. I'm just not comfortable with it. I don't post anything x-rated and my language isn't bad, but I'd just rather not give students that level of access into my personal life.

[Lisbeth]

My older SIL, a teacher, dropped her Facebook account because her students were apparently making things difficult for her with it.

[blarg314]

I think the OP's self imposed rules are pretty reasonable, if she is willing to keep her own profile and posting squeaky clean and fairly impersonal.

My general Facebook rule is that I only post things that I am comfortable with everyone in my friend list, and I only friend people who I am comfortable seeing what I post. For me, that means I only friend people who are personally known to me, and I generally don't friend current coworkers.

Not friending anyone not related to them who is still in high school and/or a minor is also a good blanket rule for teachers, particularly if they aren't willing to carefully police everything on their site, and be wizards at the privacy settings.

These rules are partially there to protect the students by making sure that the teacher doesn't cross inappropriate boundaries. But mostly they are there to protect the teacher, as the teacher can be held accountable for what they present to their students.  A teacher also has a higher responsibility to report the behaviour they witness. Although personally, I think anyone who friends their teacher and then posts pictures of illegal activity (underage drinking, for example) is asking for it.

I find that by graduate school the boundaries have changed completely - I would go out drinking with someone who taught my course or was my supervisor without a second thought.