Pop Quiz: Students and Social Media
Recently I received a friend request from a former student on Facebook. This was actually the second friend request that I received from this former student. The first time he tried to friend me was right after he finished my class. I denied that request and sent a message back saying that I did not friend students while they are still in school but would friend him when he graduated and turned 18. We have had a few messages back and forth over the years and just last week he graduated from High School. I sent him a congratulatory message and he sent back a reminder that I said I would friend him when he graduated.
I know there are teachers who accept friend requests from students who are currently in their class, teachers who wait until a student is no longer in their class, teachers who wait a bit longer like me and teachers who would never friend a former student ever. I do not feel that it is appropriate to accept a friend request from a former student until they become an adult, and there is no chance of a transfer causing me to teach them again. This is why I wait.
So today’s pop quiz question is this: Why do you or don’t you accept friend requests from students? If you do what is the criteria you use to say yes?
The Pop Quiz is a question posed to you, the Scholars of Doubt. Look for it on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoon (ET).
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1 Comment
I’m not on facebook or linked in, etc., but I have recieved those emails from people trying to get me to join and be their friend/connection. I have declined these requests, mostly because I’m a curmudgeon, but I also would not friend a current student. I would wait until they were no longer likely to be in my classes before considering it. The student-teacher relationship has a power differential that would make me uncomfortable otherwise.