Adding teacher on Facebook if they're leaving the school?

[anewdays]

I'm a primary school teacher and I'm leaving my school (and city) at the end of the week. I've had a couple of parents ask if they can add me on Facebook. On a personal level, I'd be happy to accept since I'm leaving (if I was staying, I wouldn't) but I wondered if there's a general consensus about this being appropriate or not? I'm staying in teacher but moving elsewhere.

That’s just weird of them to ask. I’m not one to add randoms though, strictly friends and family only.

I have never added parents or students on Facebook or Twitter from any school I work in. I just dont think it’s appropriate.
In September, we are getting a new member of staff that I actually taught 20 years ago - she doesn’t know i work in the same school shes coming to. I can see her on Facebook but feel weird sending her a friend request 😂

Another one here who thinks thats really weird.

I'd rather keep my professional and personal life separate.

Would you call them or visit in future?

If not say no.

I wouldn't.

As a teacher myself I probably wouldn’t add them. It’s nice they want to try keep in touch but surely you’re not that friendly with them at the moment and it’s all very professional? I’ve had a few parents request to follow/ friend me and I’ve just ignored it. If they’ve ever asked about it then I’ve explained thag I like to keep the two separate. They are parents of the children I taught, not my friends.

I think it's fine if you like them well enough. FB is hardly a massive commitment if you don't want it to be!

I don't think it's 'inappropriate', but are you friends with these parents, do you want to keep in touch with them?

Unless you've become friends then they're probably just want to be nosey, which let's face it is a large part of what Facebook is.

Professional boundaries. Don’t blur them. It’s a NO.

One of the parents is someone who I think I'd be friends with if we'd met under different circumstances as we often have a chat at pickup.

I've taught a lot of children of school staff (TAs or lunchtime staff etc) who have either added me or I've added them after I've stopped teaching their child. Which is different in the sense of we would occasionally talk in the staff room etc but not majorly different based on our relationship level. But equally I wouldn't want to be unprofessional which is why I'm thinking it over.

I'm not a teacher, just a parent, but I'm FB (and real life) friends with teachers who have taught my DCs because these teachers also have DCs in the same year group. We've also got to know each other really well through school events, PTA etc and now sometimes socialise together. So it isn't completely unknown, but it does require everyone involved to be completely professional about maintaining boundaries. (E.g. I didn't become properly friendly with one teacher until she'd stopped teaching my DCs.) Given that you're leaving the school, I can't really see why this is a problem (although I do think it's a bit weird if you're not already on friendly/social terms with these parents).

Do you know them outside of school if your only link is the relationship of being a parent of a child in your class Id say not really the done thing

Is that aimed at me? I got to know them through school (as teacher and also as fellow parent) but we now socialise outside school. As I said, we kept our distance while they were actually teaching my DCs but are closer now that's no longer the case. I can't see why this is "not really the done thing"

If you’re leaving it’s fine.

I find this odd and wonder if you struggle with professional boundaries?

She no longer has a professional relationship with these people.

To get to this stage, whilst being employed, there has to have been some overstepping?

I don't think there's a professional boundary that means teachers can't chit chat with parents!

This sounds like more than chit chat, is my point

Where have you got that from?

I’ve only added one teacher over 11yrs of kids at school, felt too awkward before, but seems to be common here. It’s my youngest kinder teacher, they’ve finished school for the year and she’s amazing. She’s very invested in the DC and comes to all their birthday parties, sports events, and came to some play dates over summer so far. Happy to keep in touch with her and she still wants to come see the kids when she can.

No it was a question to the OP as she didn’t say whether she had any link with them other than purely being teacher to their child. If you know someone socially outside of the teacher link whether that be as a fellow parent, colleague, friend, PTA whatever it’s quite different to only having interacted with them as a teacher (eg parents evening, chat about their child).

I'd say 95% of parents never say talk about beyond anything about their children and I also don't talk to them about anything beyond their children. But you occasionally get parents who are more chatty - one of my student's parents this year has the same hobby as me which we found out as I mentioned it in class and her DD went home and told her. So if she arrives to pick up at a time when I'm not talking to other parents, we might have a little chat about it. I don't think that's overstepping or inappropriate.

But, to the main point of the thread, the overall consensus seems to be no, so I will avoid it.