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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

Being Friends with Teachers on Facebook

60 replies

Royaldada · 15/01/2016 20:26

Just that really - If one of your DC's teachers was on Facebook would you add them as a friend

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Nuttypops · 15/01/2016 20:35

No, I wouldn't add anyone as a friend unless I was friends with them anyway if that makes sense.

As a primary school teacher, I am not allowed under the terms of my contract to be friends on Facebook with parents of children at the school I teach at, whether or not they are currently in my class. I would presume most other teachers are the same, and if not I would be surprised if they accepted a friend request even if you are friends in day to day life, it just leaves you too open as a teacher.

Myself and the majority of my teaching colleagues are on Facebook under a different name anyway so the children I teach can't find me, I would presume your DCs teachers are the same.

admission · 15/01/2016 20:40

I completely agree with nuttypops. Whilst you might be happy to add a friend, if a teacher or any staff member has a facebook page which is open and they accept especially pupils then they are asking for trouble. I would hope that most teachers by now would have got the message that this is just not worth the potential hassle and worse if they accept friend requests from pupils or parents of pupils, but obviously not.

BertrandRussell · 15/01/2016 20:43

I would either warn the teacher or tell the Head- she should not be on Facebook.

LillyBugg · 15/01/2016 20:43

No. Why would you? Unlikely they would accept you anyway due to what pp's have said. Teachers would be insane to accept parent friend requests.

Groovee · 15/01/2016 20:44

I work in a school nursery and have refused parents as friends.

I have had parents who have come to the nursery as its their catchment and we were already friends prior to their child being born.

Gobbolino6 · 15/01/2016 20:45

No, I think it's peculiar and it would be bad practice for them to accept anyway.

Groovee · 15/01/2016 20:46

Bert why should school staff not be on Facebook?

kimlo · 15/01/2016 20:46

No, they wouldnt be able to be your friend and probably wouldnt want to even if they could.

Hulababy · 15/01/2016 20:47

I am not FB friends with any of my pupils' parents, past or present.

Only time I would consider it and it would feel right is if the parent was an actual real life friend of mine.

I do, however, now have a couple of DD's old teachers on my FB - but they are either retired or no longer teach now, we got to know fairly well (I worked at the school for a while) and DD left the school 3 years ago.

Hulababy · 15/01/2016 20:49

No mention of it in any school contract I have had, but is advised again unless friends in real life - and then no mention of school stuff anyway. i do the social media advice/training at school - so we have certain guidelines surrounding social media, but nothing in stone.

No reason why school staff cannot be on social media at all!

Bogburglar99 · 15/01/2016 20:51

As a parent, and parent governor, No. Really not.

I am Facebook friends with a couple of parents/ TAs who I know as friends, but who also teach at the kids school. Even that I think is pushing it a bit, and if they were actually teaching my kids I think I would temporarily defriend them.

DDs teacher is a fantastic person. But she should feel free to post drunken photos of the staff night out and I should feel free to post 'can't stand these children one minute longer, is it time for gin?' without having to face each other at the classroom door on Monday morning

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 15/01/2016 20:58

I'm a teacher. One parent kept adding me then deleting his request then adding again he's blocked now, as are any other parents who try to add me. Or children for that matter.

I have a few friends who are TAs who are also parents at the school and I don't comment or really interact with them on FB so that other parents can't see anything. I want my private life to be private

bloodyteenagers · 15/01/2016 21:16

Why shouldn't school staff be on fb?

Anyway no. Decent basic e-safety policy says no.
When we do e-safety with parents we also tell them not to send staff requests.

teeththief · 15/01/2016 21:49

No. Definitely a bad idea. I'm a TA and get parents trying to add me but I just ignore it. If any of my friends get jobs at my DC's schools I also then delete them from my FB.

Feenie · 15/01/2016 21:52

I would either warn the teacher or tell the Head- she should not be on Facebook

Must have missed that memo.

I wouldn't respond to you and my Head would tell you I can do what I like.

ButtonMoon88 · 15/01/2016 21:53

No I would go as far to say that I think I think it's unprofessional to add/accept parent requests, just asking for trouble really. You must be friendly to parents but you aren't friends!

Potterwolfie · 15/01/2016 22:00

In our US school, loads of parents were friends with teachers and no one seemed to think twice, but it made me uncomfortable, so many helicopter parents who would happily use their perceived 'connection' to teachers to try and benefit their kids.

cece · 15/01/2016 22:01

Some of my friends work at my DC's school as TAs. They were tagged in the staff night out photos so I then got to see them all on their Xmas do. Including my DC's teacher.

However, before she was a teacher she was a parent in my eldest's year group, so I knew her as a parent first iyswim. I did tell them I could see the photos though - so they could adjust their settings...

Potterwolfie · 15/01/2016 22:01

Should've said 'Facebook friends' rather than just 'friends'.

AFootInBothCamps · 15/01/2016 22:22

We have TAs who are friends wit teachers. We are friends with the TAs so see the teachers comment. The only slightly dodgy buy is that the TAs also have children in the teachers classes. We also have the lunch ladies who have children the school being friends with both TAs and teachers. I think the lines are very blurred tbh.

Minispringroll · 15/01/2016 22:24

I would either warn the teacher or tell the Head- she should not be on Facebook

The fact that I have a personal (set to highest security levels; and school's not meant to be mentioned) facebook account is none of my head's business, really. I've had it for years. Even teachers are allowed to have a personal life. I only have "friends" on it, who I actually know in real life and who are friends or relatives,...if that makes sense.

I am, however, not usually friends with any parents or pupils. I have one parent of a former pupil on my friends list. She was my friend and colleague long before I taught her DC.

BertrandRussell · 15/01/2016 22:27

"The fact that I have a personal (set to highest security levels; and school's not meant to be mentioned) facebook account is none of my head's business, really."

Well, this teacher obviously doesn't have the same security settings. And many LEAs advise teachers not to be on Facebook at all.

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VocationalGoat · 15/01/2016 22:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BelindaBagwash · 15/01/2016 22:32

I have a few parents as FB friends - it's a small community and I know them outwith school. I wouldn't accept requests from parents I had no connection with other than teaching their children,

Some staff have accepted requests from parents, It's a handy way to see what they are bitching saying about what's gone on at school

Nobody has told us we are not allowed to be on FB or change our names. We are allowed to have a life out of school.

IoraRua · 15/01/2016 22:33

So, are you saying she shouldn't be on Facebook, or she shouldn't be findable on Facebook Bert?

If my principal had a parent come in saying that no teachera should be on Facebook they'd be swiftly shown to the door.

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