Teachers + Blogging = x

I am trendy and it has taken me by surprise. I usually avoid trends because I am too much of a financial and emotional tightwad to want to invest myself in something that will be sooo last week two months from now. However, according to this article in the Houston Chronicle (just one article among many these days), I am part of a growing trend of teachers who are turning to blogs as a way to share their opinions and frustrations with the public.

I have mixed feelings about this issue. My gut reaction is condemnation for teachers using blogs as a medium for spewing virtual-vitriol about their students and parents into the blogosphere. On the other hand, I have been in professional meetings that have led me to wonder if the concept of eugenics shouldn't be revisited...for students, parents, teachers, administrators, and, especially, politicians who write education legislation.

Teaching is a stressful job. At the beginning of last school year the "Your Health" flyer that was posted in our staff workroom listed the top 5 medications being prescribed to members of school employees' unions. I had to laugh when I noticed that the top three meds were 1) anti-depressants 2) sleep aids 3) cholesterol reducers. Could being a teacher really have that much of an impact on my personal health? Absolutely. I admit to bragging about how much I enjoy the challenges of my job, how I love being a part of my kids' lives, etc., but I can't count the number of nights when I have lain awake and worried about my students or my career prospects. I don't even like to think about how many times I have skipped breakfast and lunch to prep one more project or put the finishing touches on a lesson plan. And I am relatively new to the profession - imagine the poor bastards (like my dad) who have been in the trenches for 20+ years.

Of course, with teacher blogging comes a host of new complications for everyone involved in the public school experience. Vindictive students are using blogs to libel, sometimes with criminal intent, their teachers and administrators. Vindictive teachers are using blogs to reveal student information that should be treated with more discretion, if not downright confidentiality. Unfortunately, some very bad apples are making it tough for the rest of our bunch...and that is lame. Here's my advice on the issue:

Teachers: Protect your personal and professional reputation by periodically searching forums (like that scourge of the internets, MySpace) for libelous information. If you find something, document it in hardcopy format and immediately inform your administration and register a complaint with local law enforcement. Trust is the most fundamental component of the teacher/student relationship. Unfounded and untruthful information that casts aspersions upon your personal and professional reputation undermines that trust and can affect your career for years to come.

Parents: Monitor your child's use of the internet. It isn't hard, it won't cost you a dime, and it will save you a huge headache down the road by keeping your child from pulling a prank that might land you in civil or criminal court.

Administrators: Grow a backbone, if you don't already have one, and give your teachers the full weight of your disciplinary support. I know that "bong hits 4 Jesus" doesn't fall within your jurisdiction, but libelous material that affects your teachers' abilities to perform their duties is definitely within your sphere of influence.

For Everyone: Approach your contribution to the blogosphere with common sense and discretion.