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Social Media

(Three hours)

Participants’ handouts

Revised August 2017

British Columbia Teachers’ Federation

100-550 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver BC V5Z 4P2

604-871-2283 1-800-663-9163 bctf.ca

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Handout 1

Objectives

• To educate about the professional and ethical use of social media and

safe online engagement.

• To view the landscape of social media sites.

• To provide the skills for using specific sites as a professional and/or

activist.

• To provide ways to support members using social media.

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Handout 2

Scenarios

• What are the possible problems?

• What are possible consequences? (to the member, students, staff, community, union....)

• What are possible steps to take?

1. A recent teacher grad landed a permanent position. On Facebook, this new teacher wrote, “Yes! I

landed the job. Good thing I lied on my resume.”

2. A teacher Tweeted out a message saying, “The school-board needs to get their act together. 38

kids in one class! #idiots.”

3. A teacher has been falsely accused of inappropriate touching and the community is buzzing

about it on social media.

4. A teacher posted a picture of their child’s assignment and wrote, “Can you believe this stuff?

Who is this kid’s art teacher?”

5. A member posted a photo on Instagram of her dog in the park. They were on a sick day. What

if it was a photo on Twitter of them and his buddies at lunch. They were on a sick day?

6. A student has obtained a photo of her TTOC from a few years ago (before she was a teacher) of

her, joint in hand, on a camping trip with friends. The photo is being shared on social media

among students.

7. A group of students has taken to Facebook and created a group to complain about, make fun of,

and post negative pictures of teachers at their school.

8. A member joined a work fitness challenge with the rest of the school staff, including the

principal. While on leave for an injury, Fitbit continued to share their activity with the group,

including the members runs. The principal challenged their injury citing the shared Fitbit data.

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Handout 3

Terms to become familiar with

Fiduciary relationship—the parties are not on equal terms.

• One person accepts trust and confidence of another to act in the latter’s best interest.

• Professionals exert considerable influence over students as a result of their position and must act

with the utmost good faith and solely for the benefit of the dependent party.

• Students are unable to give truly informed consent.

• It is the responsibility of the most powerful person (teacher) to control the necessary boundary

between them.

Ethos of care—No exploitation of student’s dependency and trust to meet one’s own needs.

• Dual relationship emerges when boundaries become blurred. It compromises the integrity and

effectiveness of the student/teacher relationship.

• Such a relationship need not be sexual in nature. Examples: teacher as employer, teacher as friend,

teacher as confidante, either online or in person.

• Abuses of power could be verbal, psychological, or sexual.

• Society expects that teachers, as professionals, can be entrusted with this position of power and

influence.

• It is expected that teachers behave in a caring, respectful, and appropriately distant manner.

Consequences of not doing so can be severe.

Boundary violations

• Happen when professionals exploit the relationship to meet their own personal needs rather than

student needs.

• Are acts that breach core intent of professional/student relationship.

• Alter the ethos of care.

• Ask the question—whose needs are being met by my actions?

Fidelity to employer

• Cannot criticize employer

• Who is your employer?

Parent communication

• Permission

• Communication.

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Handout 4

BCTF Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics states general rules for all members of the BCTF for maintaining high standards of

professional service and conduct toward students, colleagues, and the professional union.

1. The teacher speaks and acts toward students with respect and dignity, and deals judiciously with

them, always mindful of their individual rights and sensibilities.

2. The teacher respects the confidential nature of information concerning students and may give it

only to authorized persons or agencies directly concerned with their welfare. The teacher follows

legal requirements in reporting child protection issues.

3. The teacher recognizes that a privileged relationship with students exists and refrains from

exploiting that relationship for material, ideological, or other advantage.

4. The teacher is willing to review with colleagues, students, and their parents/guardians the quality

of service rendered by the teacher and the practices employed in discharging professional duties.

5. The teacher directs any criticism of the teaching performance and related work of a colleague to

that colleague in private, and only then, after informing the colleague in writing of the intent to

do so, may direct the criticism, in confidence, to appropriate individuals who are able to offer

advice and assistance.* It shall not be considered a breach of the Code of Ethics for a member to

follow legal requirements or official protocols in reporting child protection issues.

6. The teacher acknowledges the authority and responsibilities of the BCTF and its locals and

fulfills obligations arising from membership in her or his professional union.

7. The teacher adheres to the provisions of the collective agreement.

8. The teacher acts in a manner not prejudicial to job actions or other collective strategies of her or

his professional union.

9. The teacher neither applies for nor accepts a position which is included in a Federation in-dispute

declaration.

10. The teacher, as an individual or as a member of a group of teachers, does not make unauthorized

representations to outside bodies in the name of the Federation or its locals.

*See 31.B.12 of the Members’ Guide to the BCTF.

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Handout 6

The BC Teachers’ Council standards

Established by the British Columbia Teachers’ Council for individuals who hold a certificate of qualification.

1. Educators value and care for all students and act in their best interests.

Educators are responsible for fostering the emotional, esthetic, intellectual, physical, social and

vocational development of students. They are responsible for the emotional and physical safety of

students. Educators treat students with respect and dignity. Educators respect the diversity in their

classrooms, schools and communities. Educators have a privileged position of power and trust.

They respect confidentiality unless disclosure is required by law. Educators do not abuse or exploit

students or minors for personal, sexual, ideological, material or other advantage.

2. Educators are role models who act ethically and honestly.

Educators act with integrity, maintaining the dignity and credibility of the profession. They

understand that their individual conduct contributes to the perception of the profession as a whole.

Educators are accountable for their conduct while on duty, as well as off duty, where that conduct

has an effect on the education system. Educators have an understanding of the education system in

BC and the law as it relates to their duties.

3. Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.

Educators are knowledgeable about how children develop as learners and as social beings and

demonstrate an understanding of individual learning differences and special needs. This knowledge

is used to assist educators in making decisions about curriculum, instruction, assessment and

classroom management.

4. Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and

communities in schools.

Educators understand, respect and support the role of parents and the community in the education

of students. Educators communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents and consider

their advice on matters pertaining to their children.

5. Educators implement effective practices in areas of planning, instruction, assessment,

evaluation and reporting.

Educators have the knowledge and skills to facilitate learning for all students and know when to

seek additional support for their practice. Educators thoughtfully consider all aspects of teaching,

from planning through reporting, and understand the relationships among them. Educators employ

a variety of instructional and assessment strategies.

6. Educators have a broad knowledge base and understand the subject areas they teach.

Educators understand the curricular, conceptual and methodological foundations of education and

of the subject areas they teach. Educators must be able to communicate effectively in English or

French. Educators teach students to understand relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal, and

global context. Educators convey the values, beliefs and knowledge of our democratic society.

7. Educators engage in career-long learning.

Educators engage in professional development and reflective practice, understanding that a

hallmark of professionalism is the concept of professional growth over time. Educators develop and

refine personal philosophies of education, teaching and learning that are informed by theory and

practice. Educators identify their professional needs and work to meet those needs individually and

collaboratively.

8. Educators contribute to the profession.

Educators support, mentor or encourage other educators and those preparing to enter the profession.

Educators contribute their expertise to activities offered by their schools, districts, professional

organizations, post-secondary institutions or contribute in other ways.

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Handout 7

Facebook guidelines

• Remember the higher standard

– Keep everything personal and professional separate if you’re going to use Facebook as a

teaching tool.

• Personal profile should NOT be used to connect with students. Create a teacher one if you

want to use Facebook as a teaching or organizing tool (e.g., homework questions, coaching,

etc.).

– But still don’t befriend your students online, even in the professional profile. You don’t

need to know. Private lives still matter!

• Don’t make a page

– Pages are public—anyone can see them.

• Create a group

– More private way to interact with your students (and you still don’t need to be friends

with them to do so).

– Groups are more appropriate for sharing classroom work, collaborating, sharing ideas,

hosting discussions, posting class notes, scheduling reminders, and other items that are not

as suitable (or necessary) for public sharing.

– Get parent consent.

– Address issues around equity of access.

• Make it safe

– need to implement some rules, just like the classroom

– Give your students some guidelines for interacting: they can be basic (no mean

commenting!) or they can be more in depth (requiring students to give constructive

feedback, respond with supporting outside resources, encourage other students, etc.).

Every Teacher’s Must Have Guide to Facebook:

www.edudemic.com/every-teachers-must-have-guide-to-facebook

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Handout 8

Facebook groups vs. Pages

Pages Groups

always public can be visible to members only

don’t have to be “friends” don’t have to be “friends”

page administrator posts as page each member posts and comments as an

individual

teacher does not need to have visible

individual profile

teacher has individual profile.

page administrator chooses if/how members

can post/comment.

can invite students to a group using email, no

need for actual Facebook connection.

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Handout 9

Shewan arbitration

The Shewan arbitration, though dated, still sets the standard by which teacher s hold a position of

trust and responsibility 24 hours a day. These responsibilities are not relinquished when a teacher

leaves the school.

Facts of the Shewan case:

JS and IS were husband and wife. In the fall of 1983, they were employed as school teachers in BC.

Mr. S took a photograph of his wife which displayed her in the nude from the waist up. The

photograph was entered in a contest and published in a magazine, with permission of Mr. and Mrs.

S.

The school board became aware of the publication and suspended the teachers for six weeks. The

suspension was appealed, and the appeal board ruled that the conduct did not amount to misconduct

within Section 133 of the School Act. This decision was appealed to the Supreme Court which

ruled that there had indeed been misconduct.

The Court of Appeal upheld the judge’s one-month suspension stating that the reason why off-the-

job conduct may amount to misconduct is that a teacher holds a position of trust, confidence, and

responsibility. If he or she acts in an improper way, on or off the job, there may be a loss of public

confidence in the teacher and in the public-school system, a loss of respect by students for the

teacher involved, and other teachers generally, and there may be controversy within the school and

within the community which disrupts the proper running of the education system.

Significance:

This case ruled that the moral standard to be applied to teachers was that of the local community

and not that of Canadian society, and it ruled that teachers are to set an example for their students in

terms of behaviour both on and off the job.

The main point is: A teacher is a teacher 24/7 and that a teacher’s off-duty behaviour can be

scrutinized by either the board of education or the TRB once these authorities become aware of the

behaviour.

**Case law is still evolving. New cases are being brought forward all the time in different parts of

the country. However, the Shewan case set the bar for teachers.

Handout 10

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