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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

The staffroom

Instagram

17 replies

Jetcatisback · 01/02/2017 21:55

I'm wondering if any teachers could advise me here, as I'm clueless with regards to Instagram and don't understand how it works

DD2(10) tells me tonight that a class mate of hers follows her teacher on Instagram and "finds out stuff" (she mentioned his name - no biggie to adults but I guess a big deal to kids who think teachers first names are Mr or Miss)

DD saw me raise my eyebrows at this so she quickly followed it with "oh it's ok, he (teacher is male) knows she follows him and is ok with it".

Now, I really don't understand Instagram at all - is it like twitter where anyone can follow anyone?

And secondly, the teacher concerned is really lovely, and while being an NQT last year had a very steep introduction into safeguarding relating to my DD (not school related) so a part of me wants to just briefly mention it to him - not in an accusing way as I think this is just kids talking. Would teachers want to know something like this, or am I just going to be accused of gossiping?!

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MollyHuaCha · 01/02/2017 21:57

I'd like to know too please.

PotteringAlong · 01/02/2017 21:59

I don't know how instagram works but at my school we have a strict "no friends with students on social media until they have been left for 2 years" policy. The school should have a social media policy - it might be on the website?

Jetcatisback · 01/02/2017 22:02

Thanks Pottering - this is where my confusion lies. I know on FB if someone requests you than you have to accept in order for them to see your posts - if you have your privacy settings correct. From what I know of twitter, that isn't the case thank goodness as I follow Bruce Springsteen so I'm wondering if the same applies to Instagram.

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ShoutOutToMyEx · 01/02/2017 22:03

Yes, if the profile is public, anyone can follow anyone. However, users are notified when someone follows them.

It could be that she's just looking at his profile without following him - you don't have to be a follower to see someone's pics, if their profile is set to public. He'd never know she was looking if that was the case.

He really should have his profile set to private at the very least - I work with vulnerable children and mine is private AND I use my middle name as my surname, so I can't be searched. If he's a bit green he might not have considered this, but someone should let him know, sharpish!

onmybroomstick · 01/02/2017 22:03

You have to follow someone on instagram, now depending on the privacy settings you can either immediately see everything or they have to allow you to follow them therefore allowing access to your posts. Instagram is photo sharing

finks100 · 01/02/2017 22:07

Instagram is simple, people post photos..of anything and everything! You can set your profile to private or public.
It's tricky because lots of people have public profiles were anyone can look and comment on pictures because that is kind of the point but you can block users, if I was a teacher and a child commented or followed me I would block it. Or you can lock it so only friends can see you. Lots of people are public because they want to share hobbies with others eg eating healthy, craft projects, travelling etc.

finks100 · 01/02/2017 22:08

Ps I would tell the teacher they are following them so the teacher can block them, but would do it calmly and politely!

Jetcatisback · 01/02/2017 22:10

Thanks all, I'll try and catch the teacher in the car park tomorrow - kind of pitch it as 'I thought you'd like to know what the kids are chatting about...' - does that sound ok?

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TheSecondOfHerName · 01/02/2017 22:10

I have my Instagram account set to private, which means that anyone who wants to follow me has to be approved by me before they can see anything I've posted. Same for my Twitter account.

Merlin40 · 01/02/2017 22:14

So your profile can either be public or private. Really, all school staff should have it private, to protect themselves.

If public - anyone can follow. As school staff really, if a child follows you, you would delete and block them, then make your profile private (and wish you'd done it earlier!).

If it is private, people have to request to follow you. Until you accept, they can only see your name and profile photo but nothing else. Teacher should really delete and block the student who had requested to follow, and really if it was me and it kept happening, I'd report it to the relevant pastoral lead.

I wonder if they've just found his (private) profile and seen his name? At our school knowing first names is no biggie at all. Lots of the pastoral staff are known by first names anyway, and the kids know the teachers first names.

Foxsox · 01/02/2017 22:21

This is quite uneven ground.
Essentially some LA's state that you can't be 'friends' on social media for 2 years after children leave your care or even education, so 20 years old at the oldest.
I have a colleague who has an open Twitter profile and the kids follow him, but it's his 'teacher' profile so he tweets about lesson ideas etc.

If he has an open profile what does it actually have pictures of?
If it's his personal life I would be inclined to have a quiet word. If it's teaching based then it's not an issue.

In all honesty I wouldn't want the kids to see my Instagram. It's not for them.

FuzzyWizard · 01/02/2017 22:33

I have a private Instagram account that rarely gets used. I also have a public Instagram account for my cat. My private account has about 40 followers, all friends and family and definitely no students. I also run an Instagram account for my cat. It has thousands of followers and I know at least a couple of sixth formers at my school follow it after searching for my cat's name. It's all quite bland and doesn't have anything I would be worried about students seeing. I'd never follow a student back (we only follow other pets ).

TrollTheRespawnJeremy · 01/02/2017 22:49

This could be a massive problem.

We had issues where - we couldn't prove it- but somebody stole pictures from a teacher's instagram (hidden under another name but was linked to their other profession) and they created a fake profile which they then used to send inappropriate messages to other students.

Obviously the parents noticed that a grown person had been messaging their children and put two and two together that this was a faculty member.

Huge court case followed-teacher was suspended. It was not them, but because it was pretty impossible to prove they knew their career was destroyed and they resigned from teaching entirely.

Imaginesthat · 01/02/2017 22:52

Off topic I want to see the cat instagram..

Jetcatisback · 02/02/2017 08:44

I spoke with the teacher - he was horrified as he doesnt have an instagram account and is now worried that one of the pupils has created a fake one. He thanked me profusely for bringing it to his attention, so id like to thank you all for giving me the push to speak to him.

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PotteringAlong · 02/02/2017 09:17

Poor lad - lots of curveballs to be thrown at you when teaching, especially at the start. Hopefully he'll be able to get advice and sort it today.

Imaginesthat · 02/02/2017 20:11

She was probably lying to impress her friends and there was no instagram

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