6 Social Media Do's and Don'ts

Social media is pervasive in our society and is a great way to communicate and stay connected with others, but it is important for educators to separate their professional and personal social media presence. As educators, we must be aware of the public nature of our roles and realize we are looked upon as moral leaders of the community. Because of this, we “carry the weight of several types of responsibility” which has been amplified by heightened political tensions and division in our communities. As an educator, it is imperative to be thoughtful and cautious about what you post publicly on social media – and what is considered “public.” Many educators have had unwanted media attention and been disciplined, even had action taken against their licenses, because they did not perceive their social media postings as “public.” Below are 6 ways to separate your public and private social media sites:

1. Only use the social media site that your administrator approved for communication with students and parents. Use a professional third-party app such as “Remind,” or whichever communication tool your school has chosen, for work-related communication. Keep your school and personal accounts separate.
2. Set the privacy settings on your personal account to the most restrictive settings. For Facebook, that means “friends only.” Require permission before someone follows you. Be aware that the default setting on most social media accounts is public.
3. Do not list your employer on your personal profile page. This blurs the distinction between you as a private citizen and your role as an educator and employee of the District.
4. It is important that educators contribute our voices to education concerns, but do not discuss the specifics of your job. When posting job-specific concerns on social media, many courts have ruled that educators are speaking as school district representatives. This view can cause a disruption to your employer which is cause for discipline. These problematic posts often include references to your classroom, school, and/or the District.
5. Do not friend or follow students on your personal pages or allow them to follow you. The same goes for their parents.
6. Do not post personal pictures or tag other teachers on your public social media site. You must remember that students and parents will be checking them out, oftentimes looking for things they deem unprofessional.

These steps will help keep you out of the media spotlight and help prevent you from getting disciplined for things related to your social media accounts. If you have questions about what is or is not appropriate, please contact us!