Teachers: do you delete/hide 'personal' stuff on the internet?

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

We've come across 'questionable'/embarrassing stuff on the web about DCs new teacher, whilst looking them up on school website.

As an ancient, old-fashioned parent, I'm shocked at what's out there which I presume was 'displayed' when the teacher was even younger than they are now. But clearly it's easy to find and if others googled, the first results would bring them straight to these various sites on which teacher has photos and text that wouldn't merit 'respect' from their students.

Are teachers warned about what they make accessible on the web, prior to taking up teaching posts? Do young people/teachers 'mind' as much as those from my generation would, if their students know stuff about their sex lives and see questionable photos of them?

Do I let this teacher know or make a general comment to a senior member of staff about warning their young, new staff to delete/hide personal stuff on the web - but not refer to the specific teacher?

Would you want to know, as a teacher, that your students could easily google info. about your past sex life and see 'sexy' photos of you - or would you rather not know and be mortified if a parent flagged this up?

DCs have seen the stuff but have been told in no uncertain terms not to disclose to anyone else and are fairly sensible about this kind of thing. If the teacher knows the DCs know, teacher will probably alter their attitude towards DCs. So don't particularly want to get into this, for sake of DCs - but wonder if teacher should be warned for their own sake?

Interested in feedback.

[Nerf]

I disagree. It's one thing to join something online and find other people who have also joined and recognise each other but to actively seek out information on an individual, relying on lax security or just nosiness is not the same at all.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

It would also depend on what use you are going to put the information too.

[diddlediddledumpling]

I don't think it's old school to believe the onus is on the individual to make sure there's nothing embarrassing about them online.
I do think the teacher should be made aware of it, because it has the potential to make life difficult for her if not now, then at some stage in her teaching career. op has no obligation or responsibility to make her aware, but someone should, out of decency.

The onus is on the teacher though. As others have said, this is very foolish of her.

op your dc has done nothing wrong in searching for information, imo. I'm a teacher, I would be very surprised if none of my pupils had ever done this. they're teenagers.

[Phineyj]

This is precisely the reason I changed to DH's very common surname on entering teaching!

[MrsAtticus]

Happy36 I see what you mean, but she was clearly off her head on illegal drugs!

[Happy36]

MrsAtticus Well then I agree, taking drugs is quite different to being in a nightclub. However really the school would need evidence of her taking the drug in order to sack her, I´d think.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

"The onus is on the teacher"

It really isn't that simple though, from this the assumption is that the pictures are on a webspace that the teacher controls.

I have known teachers be tagged on hen/stag nights, night clubs, peoples homes etc. and have no control over the pictures themselves.

On one occasion the pictures where up for 24 hours before the teacher even knew that they where on the net.

[PumpkinBones]

Stalking is a ridiculous and inappropriate word to use. Looking
people up online is commonplace. I look up people who apply for jobs I am advertising on Facebook, LinkedIn etc as a matter of course. Most teenagers will look up their teachers, for much less reason than the OP's DC. This is why there are generally guidelines as to how you use social media provided to staff. Googling takes seconds and is simple to do.

[DownByTheRiverside]

Works in reverse too, I know several teachers that google/ fb to see what parents get up to. Usually younger teachers. Whether social boundaries are set differently for many of he under 30s I have no idea, but they don't see a problem with it.

[PumpkinBones]

Yes - a couple of DS1's teachers have added me on Facebook! Between them, work colleagues, and various relatives, I am so conscious of everything I post!

[TheReluctantCountess]

Pumpkin, you don't have to accept their friend requests if it makes you uncomfortable.

[HumblePieMonster]

Under the Teacher's Standards, 2, Personal and Professional Conduct, www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/301107/Teachers__Standards.pdf teachers can be called to account for what they have put online.
Schools will have made this clear to staff.
Raise your concerns with the Assistant Head who has responsibility for staffing/staff training.

[ravenAK]

If the teacher is doing something online which is illegal (eg. drug taking, indecent images), or which breaches the terms of their employment by bringing their role into disrepute (a status moaning about the awfulness of an identifiable student or group, calling a colleague a rude name, saying the school they work at is crap etc), they can indeed be in deep trouble.

A parent or student stumbling across something like that could legitimately pass on concerns to the HT, who could then take disciplinary action.

However, if the teacher is simply going about their off-duty life, behaving socially in a manner which wouldn't actually get them arrested & not linking their personal use of a social network to their workplace, then I'd be inclined to teach my dc that yes, Mrs X probably does have a life outside of the classroom & hurrah for her.

Then if an opportunity arose I'd tip her off re: the need to update her privacy settings...having a 'sexy' photo visible to the world, if you're a teacher, is pretty much the online equivalent of marching out of the staff loo with your skirt tucked into your knickers. Kids will inevitably find it hilarious.

As a teacher myself, with an unusual surname, I have my privacy locked down AND I make sure I don't post anything that I couldn't defend should I be confronted by my HT waving a screengrab at me. & yes, we do all get training to that effect.

However, I'd defend myself fairly robustly if I'd posted something entirely legal, nothing to do with work, & it had been happened upon & objected to subjectively by a parent or student actively searching me out, as seems to have happened here.

I understand the explanation as to how this came about, re: this student's HFA & anxiety, but the issue here is the student's need to understand that teachers can be 'benevolent, wise, authority figures' AND have private lives that do not require their students' oversight or approval...