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Should teachers be banned from posting beach photos on

Facebook? Ottawa board seems to thinkso
JM,PN|November27,20167:07PMET
MorefromPostmediaNews

PETERPARKS/AFP/GETTYIMAGES
Aguidelineonpersonalsocialmediausehandedouttosometeachersin
Ottawa'spublicschoolboardlastweekwarnsagainstpostingpicturesinvolvingdrugs,alcoholor"scantilycladphotos
onthebeach."
AteacheronvacationpostsapictureonFacebookdepictingherfrolickingonthebeachinaswimmingsuit.Isshe
riskingherprofessionalreputationandputtingherselfindangerofdiscipline?
ThatsoneinterpretationofaguidelineonpersonalsocialmediausehandedouttosometeachersinOttawaspublic
schoolboardlastweek.
Theguidelinewarnsagainstpostingpicturesinvolvingdrugs,alcoholorscantilycladphotosonthebeach.
Itdoesnotelaborateonwhatconstitutesscantilycladeitherofphotosor,presumably,ofteachers.

Teachersarealwaysteachers,whethertheyareontheirowntimeorwhethertheyareinthe
classroom
Teachersareheldtoahigherstandardofbehaviourthansomeotherprofessions.TheSupremeCourthasruledthat
howtheyactoutsidetheclassroomisrelevanttotheirabilitytodotheirjob.AndTheOntarioCollegeofTeachers
warnsteacherstobeverycautiousintheiruseofsocialmedia.
Butisabanonbeachphotosgoingtoofar?Thatsdebatable,asisthewordingoftheguideline.

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ShouldteachersbebannedfrompostingbeachphotosonFacebook?Ottawaboardseemstothinkso|NationalPost

Thephrasescantilycladcouldbeseenaspejorative,anditsusuallyusedtodescribewomen.Thedefinitionoffered
bytheFreeDictionaryentryisillustratedwithapictureofafoxyfemaleinapinkminiskirt.
Menatthebeachcouldbescantilycladtoo,butthephrasecouldbeinterpretedastargetedtowardwomen.
Itsgoodthatemployersandregulatorybodiesrecognizethatmanyteachersareonsocialnetworks,andprovide
guidelinestohelpthem,saidMatthewJohnson,directorofeducationatMediaSmarts,aCanadiannonprofitcentre
fordigitalandmedialiteracy.
Related
Theperilsofscreenaddiction:Textingepidemicloomsashalfofteenssendmorethan50textsaday
Illsendsomenudephotosifyousendsome:Weaskedteenboysaboutsexandcyberspace
Woetobeateenagerintheeraofsextinggirlsweremeanenoughwhentheonlytoolstheyhadwerewords
However,thebeachexampleseemstoreflectasexualdoublestandardthatiscommoninmediaandsociety,hesaid.
Theattitudeswebringtothedigitalworlddontcomeoutofnowhere.
Theworldofsocialmediatendstobeheavilygendered,saysJohnson,citingonestudythatfoundwomenintheir
teensandearly20sreportedfacingbothpressuretopostidealizedphotosofthemselvesandjudgmentiftheimages
weredeemedtoosexual.Itsinterestingthat(beachphotos)isaparticularconcern.Asisoftenthecase,thereseems
tobemoreconcernandsurveillanceofwomenthanofmenonline.
Theguidelinegiventosomepublicboardteacherswasntaformalboarddocument.Itwasanexcerptfroma
presentationgiventoschoolprincipalsonthesubject,saysMicheleGiroux,aspokeswomanfortheOttawaCarleton
DistrictSchoolBoard.Someprincipalsmayhavesharedtheadvicewithteacherstocreateanopportunityfor
discussionabouthowwemanagetheboundariesofourpersonalandprofessionallivesinasocialmediacontext,said
Giroux.
Thewordingmaybeawkward,buttheadviceintheguidelineissound,saysJanetFraser,thepresidentoftheunion
representingelementaryteachers.
Teachersarealwaysteachers,whethertheyareontheirowntimeorwhethertheyareintheclassroom.

Practitionersareindividualswithprivatelives,howeveroffdutyconductmatters.Sound
judgmentandduecareshouldbeexercised
Itsalwaysbeenthatway,thatsnothingnew.TeachershavebeentoldthatsinceIvebeenintheprofession:your
privateandpersonallifealsoneedstobesomewhatabovereproachthatiscertainlywhatourunionwouldtell
teachers,anditswhattheboardwouldtellthem.
Theguidelineisprobablymeanttoprotectteachers,shesays.Idbetellingthem,asaunionrepresentative,that,for
yourownpersonalprotection,wewouldagreewiththat.Whetheritsreasonableornot,Idontknow.Could(beach
photos)comebacktobecomeaproblemforthem?Yes,itcould.
Ifoneofmyteachersaskedme,Isitagoodideatopostpictureofmeinabikinionabeach?Idprobablysayno.Id
probablysay,Erronthesideofcaution.
Curiousstudentsandtheirparentssearchsocialmediatofindoutaboutteachers,shesaid.Employersmayalsocheck
Facebookaccounts.IftheonlythingonyourFacebookaccountispicturesofyoupartyinganddrinkingalcohol
TheOntarioCollegeofTeacherswarnsitsmemberstobeverycautiouswhenusingsocialmediainboththeir
professionalandpersonallives.
Teachingisapublicprofession,theprofessionaladvisoryonsocialmediastates.Practitionersareindividualswith
privatelives,howeveroffdutyconductmatters.Soundjudgmentandduecareshouldbeexercised.
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ShouldteachersbebannedfrompostingbeachphotosonFacebook?Ottawaboardseemstothinkso|NationalPost

WouldmypeersorsupervisorsconsiderwhatIhavepostedasreasonableandprofessional?
Teachersshouldcommunicatewithstudentsusingeducationalplatformssuchasclasswebsites,andonlyat
appropriatetimesoftheday,theadvisorysays.NocommunicatingwithstudentsusingpersonalFacebookorother
socialmediaplatforms,forexample,andnousingprivatecellphonesoremailaddressestocall,textorexchange
personalphotos.
Teachersshoulddeclinefriendrequestsfromstudentsandnotinitiatethem,advicethatisechoedintheOttawa
publicboardsinformalguidelines,whichsayteachersshouldnotfollowstudentsonFacebookandTwitteror
commentontheirsocialmediaposts.
Thecollegealsosaysteachersshouldadjustprivacysettingsontheirpersonalsocialmediaaccountstomakesure
studentscannotviewthemormakeposts.
PresumablythatrulesouttheuseofsocialmediaplatformssuchasTwitter.Itsadelicatebalance.
Teachersenteringtheprofessionintheir20shavegrownupusingsocialmedia,saysJohnson.Manyofthem
probablyhavesocialnetworkingaccountsandareunwillingtoabandonthem.Itsanimportantpartoftheirlives.
PhotospostedonsitessuchasFacebookcanbecopiedbyothers,saysBrianJamieson,aspokesmanforthecollege.
Onceyoupostsomethingandputitouttherepublicly,itcanbeusedagainstyouwithanothercaptionorcutlineor
whatever.
Earlierthisyear,forexample,somehighschoolteachersinMarkhamwerecriticizedbyparentsafteragroupphoto
surfacedofthemcelebratingafteranaxethrowingcontestbyraisingtheirmiddlefingers.Ateacherhadpostedthe
photoonapersonal,butpubliclyaccessibleFacebookaccount,andastudentcopiedandrepostedit.
Thecollegeadvisorysaysteachersshouldaskthemselvesafewquestions:IsthispictureorcommentsomethingI
wouldbecomfortablewithmystudents,theirparents/guardians,mysupervisor,myfamilyorthemediaseeing?
WouldmypeersorsupervisorsconsiderwhatIhavepostedasreasonableandprofessional?
Aguidelineonsocialmediafromtheunionrepresentingelementaryschoolteachersisevenmorerestrictive.It
recommendsteachersbecautiousnotonlywithsocialmedia,butalsowithemail.Emailisnotagoodwaytoconverse
witheitherindividualstudentsortheirparents,itsays.Emailingstudentscanpromoteacasualconversationstylethat
blursprofessionalboundaries,saystheguideline.Itisalsooftenperceivedwithsuspicionbyparentsand
administrators.
TheguidelinealsosuggeststeachersregularlyconductGooglesearchesonthemselvestomakesurenoharmful
informationisbeingpostedaboutthemonline.
Inoneinstance,astudentsetupafakeFacebookaccountinateachersnameandpostedoffensivecomments,the
unionsaid.
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43Comments

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Addacomment...
DevinBarnesFanshaweCollege
Yeahteachersshouldn'thaveapersonallife,theyshouldjustsleep
atschoolandretiretoacold,danklockerroomeverynight.
No,ofcoursenot.*rollseyes*
LikeReply 3014mins
SarahRowbotham
Icouldseenotdoingdrugsbutaslongastheteacheris
professionalanddoseherjobrightwhocaresifshehadbeach
photosorgoestobartohaveadrinkaslongasit'snotaffectingher
job.
LikeReply 712mins
MarieBradley

POST

Weseemtobegoingbackwardsinsteadofforward.Next,you'llbe
sayingteachersshouldn'tgotopubsorbarsorsportingevents.
Teachersarejustnormalpeopletryingtoliveanormallifeby
traveling,eating,suntanning,laughing,enjoyingacocktailand
heavenforbid,wearbikinis.
POINTS EarnrewardsforbeingaloyalNationalPostReader
LikeReply 58mins

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NickSporekEarth
Teachersarepeopletoo,givethemabreak.Howdumbareweif
thisquestionneedstobeaskedletalonepublishedinanational
newspaper?Ifyouwanttoliveinarepressivesocietythereare
plentyoutthere,pleaseexplorethoseoptionsandleavefreedomto
therestofus.Sincewhenisgoingtothebeachquestionable
behaviourinCanada.Ohyeahthenthere'sourPM!
LikeReplyJustnowEdited
AmberPhairHarris

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