Teachers Think Twice: Are Your Photos Facebook Appropriate?

Teacher social media postings continue to make headlines.

You may recall the highly publicized case of Georgia public high school English teacher Ashley Payne who was fired by Barrow County Schools for having posted a picture of herself holding a glass of wine and mug of beer on Facebook. In November 2016 Canadian media commented on an Ontario school board's teacher-related social media guidelines which apparently warned teachers against posting pictures involving 'scantily clad photos on the beach.'

While somewhat unique, this language highlights an underlying principle that even when a teacher is not teaching, s/he is a still a teacher. Teachers hold a position of trust and confidence. They are expected to be positive role models for their students, both in and out of the classroom.