Facebook and Teachers Pro vs. Con

Melissa Rhoad & Amelia Motsinger
May 29, 2009
Filed under Commentary

        PRO(melissa rhoad):

        Imagine: it’s a Sunday night and all of a sudden you realize there is an important paper due in English class first thing in the morning. It’s almost 11 o’ clock at night and you can’t call any friends this late to get the essay prompt. So what happens next?

       Thankfully, your teacher is online to give you the prompt. The night is saved and the essay is written.

But what would have happened if that teacher was not on Facebook? The availability of teachers on Facebook is definitely a benefit that students should take advantage of.

       “It’s good to have them [teachers] on Facebook sometimes,” says junior Meagan Carpenter, “because over the weekend you might have a problem only a teacher can answer, and it’s so much easier just to send them a quick message than anything else.”

       Teachers on Facebook can also provide support to students who normally would be afraid or shy to ask for help and advice.

       Math teacher Chelita Wood says, “When students change their status, you can often see if they are going through situations.  This might explain an unusually low test grade.”

       If a teacher ‘friends’ a student on Facebook or creates a group for students, it becomes that much easier to get in contact with the student.

       “I am friends with my students because I use it [Facebook] as a tool. I know they all will be connected and they will see my postings,” says Spanish teacher Ramón Villacura

       Having online support from a teacher might make the difference for that one student who thinks he or she is ignored by teachers, or for that one student who is just flying under the radar.

       “If you’re close to a particular teacher at school, you can talk to them on Facebook, whenever, without the limitations of school hours and schedules,” adds Carpenter.

       Facebook will always be able to provide that common link between teachers and students, whether it is for a forgotten assignment or simply the need to talk. It’s just a matter of whether or not students will take advantage of the opportunity.

       CON (amelia motsinger):

       When it comes to teachers having Facebook pages, I believe this should be banned. Many students look up to teachers as mentors however, being online friends with a teacher changes that teacher-student relationship into something more personal. A teacher-student relationship should stay exactly that, rather than crossing the line into being friends.

       Many understandable reasons exist to explain why teachers might have Facebook pages. A teacher may want to catch up with his or her own friends and live individually, separate from the work of dealing with students from 7:15 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. One plus is indeed that teachers can send out class notes and homework on a site that many students visit daily. But the fact of the matter is that when an adult is working and interacting with teenagers and children, a professional manner should be maintained.