A professional image goes along with respect. In order for learning to occur, students must feel that their instructor is competent to teach them. An unprofessional image shows a lack of competence and may make students resistant to learning.
You risk falling into a trap of becoming a buddy and losing the respect of the rest of your students. Students don't need more friends; they are paying you to be a mentor, an example.
It is important because you dont want your students to take advantage of you for being to "friendly"
Hi Christopher,
Why do you feel this is unprofessional? I understand the personalization of a FB page, but if the FB page is clean, I personally do not see anything wrong. Please provide your thoughts. We have used FB as a retention tool at my institution.
Patricia
Our school now encourages our students to interact on Facebook. Several of my students located my private account and wanted to add me as a friend. This was clearly unprofessional and I explained why to each of my classes as a whole. In addition, I would recommend that all instructors that have Facebook accounts to check their privacy settings so students will not be able to view your page without he or she becoming a friend first.
Professional distance is necessary to create the atmosphere of respect and professionalism.
Hi Jennie,
I let my students know as well as my instructors, if you have a Facebook page, the page needs to be very clean in nature. A Facebook page can really tarnish one's reputation. You must be careful...
Patricia
Hi Darren,
Students need someone to look up to so that they can emulate their positive behavior. Great response, Darren.
Patricia
Hi Lisa,
Image is everything! Instructors are always being watched not only by current students, but by your peers, vendors, perspective students, etc.
Patricia
There has to be a line drawn that will leave no question as to who is the leader of the class. This is not to say that compassion and understanding is not important but it must be kept at a professional level.
Hi Kristine,
As parents if you do the right things, you are not going to always be liked. The same is true for teaching, but they will appreciate everything you've done in the end.
Patricia
Hi Christine,
We must certainly lead by examples. We are many of our students role models.
Patricia
We are examples for our students. We must look, act, and speak the part. If we set expectations for them that they must meet to be successful in the field, we must meet those expectations ourselves and be a prime example
It's just like being a parent. You have to be respected instead of liked. You are not to be a friend.
You want the students to respect and not be friends with you. By keeping that distance you are showing the students that it is ok to ask questions and to feel more at ease in the class but it also lets the students know that the instructor is still in control of the classroom.
It's important that instructors maintain a professional image by dressing and speaking professionally.
Since we require our students to dress professionally, then the instructor (as the role model) has got to portray a similar image.
Hi Gaylene,
Most students learn from us professional behavior/ways.
Patricia
I think it is one of the most important aspects of teaching. If a teacher is not professional in all manner of their conduct, students will not be willing to learn from that teacher. You can be the best teacher, but if students see you as someone in their realm of thinking they will not use you as an instrument of learning. You cannot be regarded as a peer; you must be looked as someone beyond and outside their current situation and lot in life.
Darren Douglass
This is an interesting topic for my campus right now because of new use of Facebook and other social networking sites. Maintaining a professional image is important I think mosttly because many of our students have never seen one before and need an example they can emulate. Many students use sites like Facebook to connect with others and schools are also using social networking tools to connect students together, particularly distance students. Insuring that faculty and staff are maintaining that line via electronic communication is becoming increasingly more important because of that.
Jennie
