“…
Teachers practice their profession in a fishbowl… Once educators decide to use
Facebook or any other similar social medial, it is imperative that they
understand that they are about to expand their fishbowl exponentially and that
they will be held responsible professionally for their personal posts and
online activity.”[1] Does a
teacher’s online activity on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter,
Blogger, and MySpace, have any bearing on their abilities within the classroom
walls? Many schools divisions, parents, and community representatives are
saying yes.
Social networking
has increased exponentially over the past decade and statistics are reporting
that, within Canada, 86% of citizens have at least one Facebook account, 19%
have a Twitter account, and one in every three people use various social
networking platforms on a daily basis.[2]
Furthermore, Scholastics Instructor indicates that as many as 106,000 teachers
maintain active Facebook accounts, 8% of teachers have a Twitter account, and
as much as 65% of teachers are uploading videos onto YouTube.[3]
In Manitoba
Literature
Review: Court Cases
While
the issue of online professionalism is occurring more and more within the headlines,
there are still relatively few instances of these types of cases going to
court, especially within Canada United
States and occurred within the states of New Jersey , and Ohio
The
first of these cases is In The Matter of
the Tenure Hearing of Jennifer O’Brien, State
Operated School
District of the City of Paterson ,
Passaic County
Upon
meeting with O’Brien, the principal noted that she did not intend for her
comments to be offensive but was overall unapologetic for her posts. O’Brien
was originally suspended with pay while an investigation took place but news of
this action quickly lead to angry phone calls by parents, threats to withdrawal
students, and a public protest outside of the school. The superintendant
ultimately charged O’Brien with “conduct unbecoming a teacher” and suspended
her without pay.[6] In
court, O’Brien insisted that the comments on her Facebook page were a result of
her “speaking out of frustration for her students’ behaviour that day” and that
she was genuinely surprised that the posts were being “interpreted as racist”.[7]
The court stated that while the comments may be O’Brien’s personal expression,
“It becomes impossible for parents to cooperate with or have faith in a teacher
who insults their children and trivializes legitimate educational concerns on
the internet.”[8] O’Brien
was subsequently removed from her tenured position with the division but did
not have her certification revoked.
The
second of these cases is Cairns vs. Akron
Public Schools Board of Education, submitted January of 2013, ongoing. The
teacher in question, Melissa Cairns, is facing dismissal from her position as a
middle school math teacher in the Buchtel
Community Learning
Center Cairns
Literature Review: Newspaper Articles
As
opposed to the small number of formal court cases, newspaper articles provide
much more documentation of the frequency of online unprofessionalism.
Ironically, the social media platforms that were used in their indiscretions
are also used to share their story around the world. The following articles
take place within the United
States
The
first of these articles, appearing in the New York Post, discusses a New York City Dawson Dawson
The
second of these articles, appearing in the Huffington Post, discusses a Colorado McKinney McKinney
The third of these
articles, appearing in Mail Online, discusses a Georgia English teacher who was
asked to resign or face suspension after the school received a complaint about
images of the teacher drinking beer and wine on her personal Facebook page. The
teacher, Ashley Payne, had posted images to her Facebook page that featured
herself drinking wine and beer while on a tour of a brewery on a trip to Europe . Miss Payne assures the reporter that her Facebook
settings are on “high” and that only her closest friends have access to her
images and account information.[16]
While the images themselves appear innocent, school administration claim that
Payne’s Facebook page, “promotes alcohol use and contains profanity.”[17]
While she voluntarily resigned rather than facing suspension, Payne is now
seeking to get her job back.
The fourth
article, appearing in the Charlotte Observer, actually features five different
teachers in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District that are facing
disciplinary actions due to their online behaviour through social media. The
teachers, who did not have privacy settings utilized on their accounts
displayed comments and images on their personal pages that are described by a representative
as, “involving poor judgement and bad taste.”[18]
These actions include a statement in an “About Me” section that stated, “I am
teaching in the most ghetto school in Charlotte
Critical
Assessment
With one
in every three citizens utilizing social media everyday, is it fair to be so
critical of teachers who are participating in this trend? Even I will admit
that I maintain a personal Facebook and Pinterest account as well as utilize
Twitter, PLN Ning sites, and blogging for professional purposes. I am, however,
increasingly critical of what type of information I chose to share through
these platforms. The purpose of this assessment is not to judge the morality of
the teachers’ actions or the formality of the various procedures leading up to
disciplinary action. This assessment, however, focuses on whether the teacher’s
actions upheld the professional image that is expected of teachers and if it
lead to a disruption in student learning.
In each of the
incidents listed within the Literature Review, a teacher was facing
disciplinary action, including dismissal, for posts that they shared through
social media platforms. How do we address, however, the fact that Section 2 of
the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that all citizens have,
“Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression”?[21] The fact is that the profession of a teacher
places the individual in a Position of Authority or Position of Trust in which
their actions can strongly influence those in which they have authority over or
those who have trust in them (i.e. students, parents, and community members).
While a teacher is guaranteed the same rights and freedoms as any other citizen
in Canada
… because a
teacher and principal occupy positions of trust within society,
arbitrators and
judges have ruled that they must be held to a high standard of
personal and
professional conduct than other workers.[22]
With this standard in mind, each of the
cases should be approached with critical examination of whether the teacher’s
actions upheld the professional image that is expected of teachers and if it
lead to a disruption in student learning as opposed to whether or not the
teacher’s charter rights were violated.
In each of the
cases, the teacher’s actions were immediately recognized as unprofessional by
administration, colleagues, parents, and/or community members. Whether the
action included images, posts, or commentaries, they all resulted in multiple
people losing trust in the individual as a teacher. As a result of their online
actions, each of the teachers were no longer seen as professional and the
Position of Authority or Position of Trust was tarnished. Furthermore, the
teacher’s actions also resulted in a disruption to student learning as the
student’s awareness of the situation resulted in them seeing their teacher in a
different perspective. Depending on the situation, their actions lead students
to disrespect their teacher, not see them as someone that could be trusted, and/or
doubt their position as a teacher. In the case of elementary teachers, parent
action plays a larger role in this disruption as they may pull their child from
class, complain to administration, or publicly protest at the school. By
assessing each of the situations, I believe that each of the teachers failed to
uphold the professional image that is expected of teachers and subsequently
lead to a disruption in their students’ learning.
Implications
for Education
There
is no doubt that teaching is a profession that places an individual in a
fishbowl, so to speak, and online activity only emphasizes this concern. The
turnout of the 2013 Manitoba BYTE Conference, with over 400 participants,
highlighted just how many educators in the province are recognizing educational
technologies, including social media, as an important tool.[23]
With so many individuals utilizing social media platforms, teachers are
professionally responsible for ensuring that they are modeling ethical and
appropriate behaviour. The Manitoba Teachers’ Society has published a brochure
clearly outlining the “Dos and Don’ts” of online behaviour for teachers and it
is something that all teachers should review periodically. This includes issues
like:
-
Do follow school division policy on
social networking with students and
only use divisional computers during regular working hours.
only use divisional computers during regular working hours.
-
Do separate your personal and
professional life online. Use an approved
Facebook site for your work and use it only
during regular work hours.
-
Do use highest level of security
controls on social networking sites you
participate in.
-
Don’t vent online.
-
Don’t post information, comments, or
pictures that would be
embarrassing if they appeared on the front page of your local paper.[24]
embarrassing if they appeared on the front page of your local paper.[24]
It is almost a guarantee that teachers will
be “Googled” be administration, parents, students and community members at some
point in their career and while the use of social media by educators is under
scrutiny it can be utilized professionally if these guidelines are maintained.
In addition to the
brochure mentioned above, teachers should also be cognizant of the Manitoba
Teachers’ Society Code of Professional Practice that clearly states that,
2. A member acts with integrity and
diligence in carrying our professional
responsibilities
4.
A member’s conduct is characterised by
consideration and good faith.
She or he speaks and acts with respect and dignity, and deals
judiciously with others, always mindful of their rights.
She or he speaks and acts with respect and dignity, and deals
judiciously with others, always mindful of their rights.
5.
A member respects the confidential
nature of information concerning
students and may give the information only to authorized personnel or
agencies directly concerned with the individual student’s welfare.
students and may give the information only to authorized personnel or
agencies directly concerned with the individual student’s welfare.
6.
A member first directs any criticism
of the professional activity and related
work of a colleague to that colleague in
private.[25]
This code outlines the standards that
should guide a teacher’s behaviour on and offline, in the classroom and out of
the classroom. I strongly believe that if teachers educate themselves in the
guidelines established in both of these documents than they will significantly
decrease their risk of participating in unprofessional behaviour online.
As
teachers, these types of cases emphasize the fact that this profession is under
constant scrutiny and that we are subject to Reasonable Limits that ensure our
professional image and Position of Trust is maintained. While it can be easy to
assume that we can take off our “teacher’s hat” at 3:30 each day, the truth is
that a teacher’s behaviour and activities are always subject to judgement and
it is our professional responsibility to ensure that all our actions are
conducted with, “consideration and forethought”.[26]
Bibliography
BYTE Conference Committee. (2013). “2013
Byte Conference Neepawa”. Canada
Daily Mail Reporter. (2011). “Teacher
Sacked for Posting Picture of Herself Holding Glass or Wine and Mug of Beer on
Facebook”. Mail Online. Available
online at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354515/Teacher-sacked-posting-picture-holding-glass-wine-mug-beer-Facebook.html
Edelman, Susan. (2012). “Teacher Can’t Be
Fired For Facebook Tirades”. New York
Ferner, Matt. (2013). “#FreeCrunkBear:
Carly McKinney Canada - Denver
Government of Canada Canada
Helms, Ann. (2013). “5 Teachers Disciplined
for Facebook Postings”. The Charlotte
Observer. United States
In
The Matter of the Tenure Hearing of Jennifer O’Brien, State Operated School
District of the City of Paterson , Passaic County New
Jersey
Kanalley, Craig. (2011). “Teacher Natalie
Munroe Defends Blog That Insulted Students”. Huffington Post: Canada
Schilling, Chelsea United States
Scholastic Instructor. (2013). “Social
Media for Teachers Infographic”. The
Innovative Educator. United
States
Tech Vibes. (2011). “Social Networking in Canada United States
The Daily Dot. (2013). “Teacher Who Taped
Her Students’ Mouths Shut Might Get Fired”. Lexis
Nexis. United States
Footnotes
[1] Manitoba Manitoba Canada
[2] Tech Vibes. (2011). “Social Networking in Canada United States
[3] Scholastic Instructor. (2013). “Social
Media for Teachers Infographic”. The
Innovative Educator. United
States
[4] Manitoba Canada
[5] In
The Matter of the Tenure Hearing of Jennifer O’Brien, State Operated School
District of the City of Paterson , Passaic County New Jersey
[6] lbid.
[7] lbid.
[8] lbid.
[9] The Daily Dot.
(2013). “Teacher Who Taped Her Students’ Mouths Shut Might Get Fired”. Lexis Nexis. United States
[10] lbid.
[11] Edelman, Susan.
(2012). “Teacher Can’t Be Fired For Facebook Tirades”. New York
[12] lbid.
[13] lbid.
[14] Ferner, Matt. (2013). “#FreeCrunkBear: Carly McKinney Canada
- Denver
[15] lbid.
[16] Daily Mail Reporter. (2011). “Teacher Sacked for Posting Picture of
Herself Holding Glass or Wine and Mug of Beer on Facebook”. Mail Online. Available online at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354515/Teacher-sacked-posting-picture-holding-glass-wine-mug-beer-Facebook.html
[17] lbid.
[18] Helms, Ann.
(2013). “5 Teachers Disciplined for Facebook Postings”. The Charlotte Observer. United States
[19] lbid.
[20] lbid.
[21] Government of Canada Canada
[22] Manitoba Manitoba Canada
[23] BYTE Conference Committee. (2013). “2013
Byte Conference Neepawa”. Canada
[24] Manitoba Canada
[25] Manitoba Manitoba Canada
[26] Manitoba Manitoba Canada
Thanks for sharing.awesome post,will definitely check out. Do you have any recommendation of educational apps ?
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