Teachers on Facebook and night out

[GreenGreenGrassBlue]

I’ve name changed for this, my friend was showing me photos of her children’s SLT (Dep Heads, other teachers) out on a night out in a City. She’s friends with one of the Teachers on Facebook.

There are photos of them enjoying a night out, doing shots etc and this Teacher is friends with a number of parents on Facebook.

AIBU to think it’s probably not appropriate to share these sort of photos on Facebook?

It is titled like a pre back to work night out with a number of parents commenting things like ‘are you ready?’.

Im not saying don’t go out but not sure how appropriate it is for teachers to be sharing like this on Facebook.

No it isnt- what rubbish.

Of course it’s true. I’m an ex teacher. My employer had a stringent social media policy and we were told that if we used social media we had to not use our full names and make sure privacy settings were friends only. And we weren’t allowed to be friends with parents or pupils. Your private life has to remain private in order to maintain professional respect. If you have any teacher friends on Facebook you’ll notice they often call themselves Sarah Louise or something like that - no surname. Failing to keep your private life private is a disciplinary offence.

No it isn't.

Professional people are allowed social media. They are allowed to post images of them having a social life outside of school/work.

• Dadaya It’s called maintaining a professional image. People like teachers, doctors, and other professionals are expected to keep their private life private. It’s a sackable offence if you don’t. No it isnt- what rubbish.*

No that is true. I work for the NHS. If you have your job on your social media, there are rules about bringing the profession into disrepute, which can lead to a disciplinary procedure

Have you been a teacher? Because I have. And there are standards of professional conduct including social media and privacy policies.

1 stop wasting time looking at mebok
2 I would want my kids teachers to be sociable people who like a drink and a party

It generally isn't. I deal with the social media and similar policies at school. Infact I was updating them just this week.

Posting photographs of a night out on a private social media account is not against the rules.

It's very unprofessional for a teacher to be friends with the parents of the children they teach on Facebook. IMO I don't think any school with a 'policy' on social media would allow this.

The night out and the posting of it wouldn't bother me hugely as long as it is just a few pictures of them having fun. People in professional roles do need to be really careful of what they're posting although this seems ok to me.

But it comes back to the thing about parents...I wonder how the Head would feel about having their picture online given that parents will see it. The teacher just comes across a bit stupid if they don't get that this part is unprofessional.

But what happens when you are a teacher and one of your long standing friends, from school or Uni, has children who grow up and attend your school? Or even a family member?

Happens all the time, even in large cities. My cousin taught at the school that her nephews and nieces went to, as well as the kids of lots of her friends, they lived near each other and were in the same catchment area.

I’m also a nurse, I only accept colleagues friend requests on FB and barely ever post anything there.

I keep my IG for my real life goings on and opinions on politics and and only have actual friends on there. I have declined colleagues requests to follow me on there. I’m a bit more chilled about it after I’ve left the job and they’re ex colleagues, and I know for certain that they’re my kind of people.

I use Twitter if I want to actively engage in professional discussion.

Yes, they shouldn't post it on Facebook

Not because of THEM but because of the twatty public who act as if they own them and don't want 'someone who drinks' around their children

The 'public' as a group are unbearable twats

It sounds risky accepting parents as friends but if the person grew up in the area and has friends who happen to be parents the line can be tricky I'd have thought. But what a shame the 'friend' betrayed the trust of the teacher by showing the pictures to you . Your friend looks bad here , she was trusted and betrayed that.

Of course teachers can have a night out but not splashed publicly across social media.

Sorry the thread blew up! I should point out my friend is acquaintances with the teacher in question hence they’re friends. Grew up in the same area.

I think my friend showed me as a kind of look it’s great they’re having a good old knees up before the term kicks off again! Plus it’s a place we had thought about going and she said it looks a good laugh.

My friend wasn’t being bitchy. She doesn’t give two hoots about the teachers being out. I’m a bit more like erm should teachers be posting on Facebook etc

Failing to keep your private life private is a disciplinary offence.

Your school's social media policy would not stand up in law, I'm afraid, based on what you've posted. It might be what your policy states but it's simply not true that those things are things you can be sacked for generally. The staff could claim against the school for unfair dismissal.

Usually things are discouraged, it that's actually as fair as much of it can go.

Another teacher here who isn't allowed to be friends on SM with parents. I'm really surprised at teachers who are friends with parents. I suppose some might have been friends before they became a teacher in that school but in that case I'd expect them to lock down what the mum can see a bit.

Lots of people who are teachers and SLT (like myself) have agreed with @PremiumPiglet. Maybe your school policed your social media to an unfair level, but it is not normally a sackable offence. I wouldn't work at a school that made it one.

No it isn't, not if they've secured the privacy settings so their pupils cant access them. These same parents will no doubt bump into them on nights out.

Please tell me you are joking

I'm not a teacher but work in a profession with similar policies for similar reasons, if our profiles/accounts aren't private and secure it lives us wide open to all sorts of problems from other people who find our accounts, then bringing issues to our door from work for not being careful enough. I have known people being sacked in my line of work for not being careful, being unprofessional etc, even when they are not at work and living a private life like everyone else.

I swear being encouraged ti grass up your neighbours for breaking ruleZ have absolutely gone to some people heads

Perhaps you could tell the teacher that their acquaintance has been showing random people the pictures, who are being judgey (like yourself), and the teacher can remove said acquaintance from their friends list. Problem solved.

The teacher has a right to have fun and if they want to share that on social media then let them. Nothing was illegal and you weren't even meant to see it since you're not a "friend"

As long as they aren't doing anything illegal or that brings the profession/school into disrepute then it's not a sackable offence.

A night out with a few shots isn't getting you sacked.

It's probably best to not be friends with parents but there is that crossover sometimes. One of my sons teachers is my neighbour and we've been friends for years.

Think there will have been more to the story than that, otherwise it's a case of unfair dismissal.