To expect teachers not to comment on their pupils performance on facebook?

[mumoffraser]

I am a bit actually. A friend who is a teacher commented on facebook (yes facebook again)how well her pupils had done in their exams but a friend of hers then added the following "my lot are a bunch of fannies I didn't have high hopes and they performed exactly as expected"

I could chose to ignore this but FFS with a teacher prepared to make comments like this in a pretty public place (with friends of friends able to read) what chance do the kids have? I don't even know which school it relates to but do I just ignore or make a polite addition to the thread along the lines of "thanks my kids attend your school" Have even thought about highlighting to school head. IMO as a professional eg. teacher, nurse, police etc you need to be very very careful what you post on the internet. AIBU here?

I for one would not want to be responsible for causing someone to lose their job over what is actually not an appalling thing to think in private* - just a totally unacceptable and unprofessional thing to post on Facebook.

It's entirely possible that if you can see this post, then so can other people, and someone else will get him into trouble.

I'd be inclined to message him and say something like "I saw your comment on exam results to X. I don't know if you realised your privacy settings are such that all her friends can see your comments. As it is an unprofessional comment to make, I'd suggest you remove it in case someone with a child at your school sees it."

• Bottom set maths in a comprehensive school, for example, is a dispiriting class to try to teach.

Balloonslayer I think it is an appalling thing to even think in private. The more I think about this the more angry it makes me. Hes admitted that he was expecting his students to fail!

I was really shy at school - never put my hand up when I knew the answer and never asked them to clarify anything so teachers gave up on me. Even if they don't say anything it is obvious in the way they speak to the student that they don't expect them to achieve anything. I can imagine teachers saying that sort of thing about me

If I was the op I would complain, who knows how he speaks to his students.

Depends what he meant by "fannies." If he meant cunts then . If he meant it (as I read it) as people who "fanny about" ie mess about, then that does sum up a bottom set in something like maths in a comprehensive school.

As I say, it depends on your interpretation. Your description of yourself does not fit into what I think this teacher was saying.

Surely you will concede that some children at school mess about and drive their teachers round the bend?

But I still think it should not have been said on FB, or even in the staff room come to that.

If you complain expect that he will end up in a disciplinary situation and with some sort of warning on his record. I'm not saying not to do it, but be aware of how this will pan out. This can literally destroy a career. I would expect this to be an automatic disciplinary offence.
Personally, having been involved in two teachers disciplinary hearings involving Facebook, I would contact him and let him know how you feel. The fact is, we can't control how someone thinks, and maybe he did think his pupils were going to fail. Schools do a lot of work on predicting likely grades these days. It's where he chose to express that thought, and how he did it that is the problem. If you contact him you will probably give him a near heart-attack and change his FB behaviour for ever. If you contact the school he is going to have an absolutely terrible time, maybe that punishment fits the "crime" in your view, but don't underestimate how bad it will be.

balloonslayer you don't think a teacher should say something like this in a staffroom! Why on earth not? Do you never moan to colleagues?

I'm just guessing, but unless he's a complete numpty, he would only have commented on your/his friend's FB page if they didn't have any friends in common and weren't local to one another.

FB is dodgy ground, and clearly it is unprofessional to write about your low expectations of pupils in a public place but it is entirely normal to feel frustrated by the kids. If you haven't taught in a secondary school you won't even begin to imagine the amount of "fannying" around. If you have worked your backside off all year to try and get a modicum of work out of a bunch of kids and failed (and even the best teachers have this, every year and not just in lower sets) then I fail to see how it is possible to remain positive at all times.

If you report him, then I'm afraid you will be responsible for a lot of pain over very little. I would advise, if you are still feeling sanctimonious, that perhaps you should write a sarky comment and leave it at that.

I'm SLT and Head of IT & Business in a sec school - we have built into our once-a-year Acceptable Use IT form two clauses about usage of social networking sites due to issues of this kind. This means that each staff member agrees in writing to behave professionally on the internet as they obviously should in RL. Unfortunately, in our experience just this last year, some staff (and obviously students) continue to choose to 'add' students, their parents, colleagues etc., and prolong their school day by jibbering away about each other / all of us / the kids etc. all evening. I can't see the sense in that myself, am glad to finish when I leave (usually at 6pm btw !). Part of the problem is that keyboard warriors can't see the impact of their words, which, once written, can be circulated ad infinitum, even if subsequently deleted. OK, so that's the world we're living in, but too many teachers (of all ages, not just the newbies) are too daft/stubborn to consider the bigger picture; they should visit the GTCE website to see the outcome of the various recent disciplinaries as discussed above, but are probably too busy drivelling on about 'Wayne Kerr in Year 9' etc. Sad but true :(

Bertiebasset I was trying to be cautious, TBH of course I know they say all sorts, I guess I meant you could be overheard and told off for saying it in the staffroom.

I think we'd all be horrified if we knew what the teachers really thought of our little darlings.

'balloonslayer you don't think a teacher should say something like this in a staffroom! Why on earth not? Do you never moan to colleagues?'

In a primary school, the staffroom is often stuffed with teachers, TAs, parent helpers, Y10 work experience, students on practice, people in to mend stuff...
No I don't speak my mind in the staffroom.

'Balloonslayer I think it is an appalling thing to even think in private. The more I think about this the more angry it makes me. He's admitted that he was expecting his students to fail!'

Marjee, walk in our shoes for a mile. Or a decade. You'd be weary too.

Bloody hell, I can't believe you would even DREAM of reporting this guy!

This is not 1984

He was just letting off steam. I doubt he genuinely believed what he wrote and it's absolutely not business of yours even if he did.

Don't you have better things to worry about than getting some stranger into trouble for a trifling matter?

Depends on the privacy settings. If the whole world can read it, not good. If selected friends only it's no big deal. It's the sort of thing you mght say to friends

Goblinchild I understand your point, I went to school in quite a rough area where there was a lot of "fannying around" I know teachers need to let off steam but imo this teachers comments were inappropriate. It hit a nerve I guess having been that child with the label attached

I'm a teacher and I'm shocked at how unprofessional this person is, not to mention downright stupid.

I do have a facebook account but it was really only for tracking down long lost friends. The only info I have is that I am married, nothing else.

I wouldn't put anything personal on it as children from my school could easily find me, although I realise, of course, that I can make it private. (I have 2 toddlers, don't do anything worthy writing about and certainly don't have time to post updates haha!!!)

We've had some former pupils asking teachers to be FB friends, but they just ignore it.

I'd even be wary about saying something POSITIVE about my pupils or school! I think teachers etc would have to be very very careful about what they write. Yes, we are entitled to a private life and an opinion, but IMO, we shouldn't be shouting about it online! Just MHO, you understand

If I knew who this teacher was, I would report them. I think it's outrageous.

"they should visit the GTCE website to see the outcome of the various recent disciplinaries as discussed above"

Ah well, never mind - soon no one will be able to click on the GTC website when they're abolished.

What are the thoughts on running a tickertape on my FB account, with info on how past students are doing? Not my personal opinion mind, just extracts from the local and national newspapers.

That's mean. It may well be true, but even so...

If my kids were taught by her I'd be livid. She's obviously feeling defensive about the inevitable criticisms that will be levelled at her for poor teaching if they are deemed to have under-performed, but it's very snide and unprofessional to voice those thoughts on (semi) public forum. (Not on MN obviously, as we are all incognito.)

I agree with Cumbria81 - this is a complete stranger to you and yet you are contemplating ruining his/her career over a petty matter which has bog all to do with you.

Please, just let him know you've read it and point out how much trouble he could get in. I know it was wrong, but don't ruin his life. If you report it, you will ruin his life.

Did he put an exclamation mark on the end? If so, then it's a joke and doesn't matter IMO. If not, then it's foolish and unprofessional, but not a sacking offence.

Yes don't report the guy, but he has made a serious error of judgement.

I am a teacher too and while in primary the problems aren't the same I am very discreet and do not have any friends who are connected with the school.

He should try the TES website there are some good threads on there should he feel in the need of a moan and some solidarity. Time and place I think.

Error of judgement, definitely. I would contact her/him to advise them to get it removed but leave it at that. Maybe do a message on the lines of:

'I am the parent of one of your pupils. I saw the comment you posted and was horrified at your unprofessionalism.

[line space to give him/her time to wee themselves]

'Fortunately, the first sentence above isn't actually true - but it could easily have been, given that I've been able to get identifying information about you from your profile. I advise you both to increase your privacy settings and to think very carefully in future before you post anything about your pupils online'.

Good chance s/he will be scared enough to think twice in future.

I do think it is excessive for teachers to be asked not to have a Facebook account at all, as someone posted they had been earlier, but I do think it is good sense a) not to post about those you teach and b) not to befriend pupils or students. I just don't have a fb account at all and get round it that way, but for anyone else I think dixcretion and high privacy settings are necessary. Unfortunately stuff like this is pretty common as people just don't think about what they say online.

Isn't there a bit of a difference here between assuming that the teacher had expected all his/her students to fail (i.e. being very negative), and the same teacher actually hoping they might pass, but having spent a term/year teaching them, realising that they are unlikely to do so, because they are lazy? The first suggests a holiday is needed, the second is just par for the course for most teachers!

Why is bottom maths set dispiriting - surely the role of the teacher is to bring them up to a better level?

I'd send them a reponse in a similar tone re their apitude for teaching.

blardy facebook again - but at least it finally provides a fool-proof moron-detector with constant stream of people showing up their true colours publicly in a way that has never been visible till now.