Blogging all over the world...
Apart from here, I don't blog. I have a blog account on eblogger, but I've never used it. Part of that is laziness, part of that is I'm a nobody, why the hell would anyone be interested in what I have to say any way, but most of it is my role in the lives of a few thousand teenaged lives.
Y'see, I've been reading a lot about how it is good for an aspiring author to have a blog. How it is seen a A Good Thing, because prospective agents can google you and look you up. Problem is, if prospective agents can google you and look you up, so can the thousand kids you have at your school at any one time, too. And that, my dear Cloudies, is NOT A Good Thing.
Kids are strange. They profess to hate school, and a lot of them profess to hate you and your subject (as I said to one girl this week when she said those wonderful words every teacher lives for - 'I hate this lesson' - I gave the standard reply of 'Well, my work here is done...'), and yet, whether you like it or not, you kind of become a Z list (heh, T list?) celebrity to them. Their curiosity for what you do in your spare time is quite voracious. Even though I use an internet handle (for this very reason, I may add) and don't put my email up, I still get 'Hi miss its Lauren from 9A2 how r u?' messages / emails every now and again, and it worries and infuriates me.
Why? The messages are, on the whole, innocent; even the kids who profess to hate you tend to send nice messages, but each time I receive one, a little piece of me dies, whilst another little piece of me panics. And yet another piece of me gets angry. There are three main reasons. 1) if you interact with kiddies out of school, you are unequivocally and obviously a pervert (even if they sought you out), b) I want a life of my own that is not observed by those I teach and c) get a fucking life! I'm your TEACHER, not some sad wannabe celebrity who craves attention. Go google some other low life who appreciates it!
A couple of years ago, the government wanted to bring in a 'Role Model Charter' for teachers. This basically meant that teachers had to hold themselves up to 'role model' standards of behaviour no matter where they were: at home, down the pub, in the supermarket - anywhere where they might face their pupils or their parents. This included on the internet, and that is where I got angry.
I draw pictures that, whilst not particularly dodgy, an 11 year old's mum might not appreciate. I write fiction that includes violence and sex. You know why? Because I am an ADULT and therefore I am ALLOWED TO. What I get up to in my spare time is up to me (okay, so if I was caught shooting up heroin on line and then sucking off a donkey, I could understand their concern... but that's not what I am talking about here. I think anyone in any job would be in trouble if they were caught doing that on line!), but I consider myself a pretty decent person - why shouldn't I be allowed to post my drawings up online and share them, or post up my writing for critique without the fear of being hauled into the Head's office on Monday morning?
Last year, we even had 2 cases of kids pretending to be teachers on Farcebook so they could stir and cause trouble. And cause trouble they did. They meticulously found out information about those teachers (from the internet, naturally), set up accounts in their names and then, casually as you like, systematically went around talking to other teachers about school, about their opinions of other teachers and pupils, about what they thought of the Head... things that, worryingly, could get them sacked. And that was their purpose. To harm teacher's careers as much as possible.
The kids involved were expelled, but despite the teachers' identities they stole wanting to press charges, the police were never involved. One of those teachers - a dedicated senior member of staff - left last summer, because she was so sick of it all. As far as I know, she isn't teaching any more. Our profession has lost an excellent teacher because two stupid kids thought it was fun to spy on her and ruin her life.
Then there was the staff Christmas party. The photos were hidden under 'friends only' and only showed us having a laugh and a drink. But kids got hold of them... et voila, we're all hauled into a meeting about not posting photos on line. Another teacher got hauled over the coals for posting 'inappropriate pictures' of herself after a parental complaint... of her in her bikini on holiday. Me and my friend (another English teacher) were involved in a charity 'Teacher Strictly Come Dancing), where we moshed to Faith No More and the Boo Ya Tribe's 'Another Body Murdered' as our dance - the first time we knew it had ended up on You Tube was when the Press called the Head to ask what was going on.
It's a serious problem for us. We're getting told all the time about our 'responsibilities' when it comes to our charges and our private lives... but what about the kids? Isn't it about time someone turned round to them and said ' just pack it in'? My blood runs cold each time one comes up to me and says 'aww, that photo of Lucy was well cute'... excuse me? Are you stalking me or something? STAY OUT OF MY LIFE! I don't google you (and if I did, I'd probably be accused of being some kind of pervert), so don't google me! What is your fascination with me, any way? It's creepy!
So... sorry, Mr / Ms Agent - I am afraid that any potential google searches for my online activity are going to be seriously curtailed, because I'd have to be some kind of masochist to write an open blog right now...
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33 Comments
Your blog is very sad - especially about the kids with evil intent. Kids have too much power now. If they misbehave, they cannot, now, be thrown out of a public library.
Bah! Response eaten, so answer somewhat shortened. Basically - mike - kids have the power, but not the maturity to realise that with that power comes responsibility. I lost count the amount of fights I broke up (one very physical) over things that had been said over Farcebook. What makes me laugh even more is there is a site online called I hate my teacher with photos of teachers (without their permission), giving details of where they work, who they are etc... and despite our unions trying to get it shut, no one is willing to do so. Now, if teachers had a page called I hate my pupil, it would be another matter...
moonbeam - It's becoming more of a problem as time goes on. Prospective employers are googling candidates and finding out about them before interview, colleges the same about their pupils - it's worrying. What is more worrying is how the kids don't seem to realise that this behaviour is immortalised in virtual stone - they're up there, effing and blinding over the net, posting pictures of themselves up in their underwear (and worse) - what happens in 5 years time when they've grown up a bit and want a job, but it is then the norm to google your interviewees and they find that lot? They're setting themselves up for a big fall, I fear...
However, my husband had a totally different outlook. (He was, a head of department and until recently, a supply teacher at schools with hard to discipline kids.) We taught kids who had been expelled too and even brought them to our home. We taught them to drive, took them to the supermarket, where they teased us and managed to get us laughing into the photo booth, we went bowling, to France, and visited prisons. We had twelve at a time. They kept in touch for years. Their energy can be overpowering. It was at times as if tey were sucking blood as they will if given a yard....but also exhilerating.
The issue of your website is different - I can see why you are against the idea.
It is a pity that these things are not addressed and the kids have to talk about them - with feeling.
I am old fashioned and expected the kids in my groups to shake hands when they greeted me, if I respected them they learn to respect themselves and others. Obviously not all kids.
A friend was here yesterday talking about his daughter and the images she had posted on Facebook, she did not understand his concern - children seem to find it hard to separate the media life from the real world which is understandable as they are immersed in it all the time. They are too young and inexperienced to understand the ramifications of what they see as harmless fun. Oh I see you have said that.
wonder where it will lead eventually. Facebook and other sites have given kids a sense of power. They have a lot to answer for. I think they take away power and lead to lots of unhappiness - it is another area that chidren have to compete in.
You, Elysia are protected by you keen mind and position. Hopefully, and if ever anything untoward happens your colleagues would know and trust and support you.
The kids will be ace at reading body language you are not even aware of.
The only thing I would suggest would be to do exactly what you're doing - using a completely different name with no photos of yourself. You're safe on the Cloud but things like facebook (not sure if you're on it) cause a whole world of problems, and that is why I stay well away from it. We think that because we aren't famous that people won't stalk us, but there are always people to stalk you..... xxxxx
As for children? I feel we've given away far too much power. While this may have been originally to protect the few (I hope) in bad situations, it's gone too far the other way so that many think they're entitled, invulnerable and whatever they do will be someone-else's-fault. And they're growing up into adults with that view too. Power without responsibility is a dangerous thing.
Has the 'Internet' really 'empowered' people? I wonder? There is a site for people who wish to detach themselves from the digital world but I cannot find it now! ( It was mentioned on the BBC news web site last week)
Never knew it was so bad, but then who needs a reference when you have google!!!!
Most of the time - yes, it is harmless. But sometimes, it isn't. I actually think places like Farcebook should be 18+. I don't like the idea of my 11 year olds (because no-one seems to enforce COPPA, and most of the time they lie anyway) sticking up their personal details for all to see. I've had to pull Year 10s (that's 14-15 years old) aside and tell them that, rather than the pretty 17 year old boy they are chatting to over a photograph of them in their bra and pants, it's probably a 50 year old truck driver called Derek (no offence to any 50 year old truck drivers called Derek intended, but you get my point). And it worries me.
My best mate is a teacher, and it really screws up her social life sometimes. if we go out to the pub- she'll always bump into one of the parents- she teaches age 6-7. Then in the holidays, if we take our kids to the park- cinema etc she will always meet a pupil or two- and the lil darlings will follow us around while she gets more and more stressed.
I feel really sorry for you guys, because teaching must be just about the most stressful of jobs so you just wanna switch off at the end of the day and be able to relax at weekend and holidays. i have another friend who teaches 18 yr old and for that reason she refused to get a FB account. I'm losing faith in the site as it is due to the amount of children who are now on there. I'm also deleting lots of pics because I'm worried now who's looking at them.
At one point, the government even went as far as saying that teachers shouldn't go out and get drunk, just in case they come across parents and end up in an 'altercation'... uh, excuse me? Best one, though, happened to my mate - she went out, picked this woman up, went back to her place... and then woke up to find that the woman's daughter was one of our year 8s (she didn't teach her, and so didn't know the parent). So maybe there is something in this! XD
Anyway, set up a blog using a pseudonym, create an email account with same pseaudonym and noone need know who you actually are. If agents contact you you can give them real details but work under pseudonym - secret identity intact. Many, many authors and bloggers do this and maintain their privacy. Problem solved :) You need to get your name out there and showcase your work and blogging is probably the best platform for that. I'm just beginning to do it & learning as i'm going along - if you need any help or advice sweety, i'd be happy to help where I can but i'm no expert.
I had to come off facebook partly for this reason. My sons friends were sending me friend requests and printing bikini pics off and handing them round at school! My little brother used to sell said pictures at his school!!!
More power back to teachers. More disciplinary measures allowed in the classroom once again. Untie the hands that guide our young (I don't mean just to clip 'em round the ear). And stop piling more responsibility onto teachers to be superhuman - let them just teach without also having to be police without handcuffs, nurses without medicine, social workers without powers to intervene...
In the end, I suppose I only have myself to blame. I chose to teach inner city (I had a chance to teach leafy suburb (in Chichester, where I went to school), but I went all Dangerous Minds and decided 'no! I want to make a difference!'. Heh, noble but naive. It has toughened me up, though - and I do get a huge sense of achievement when my charges leave Year 11 with good grades (not all the time...), but the social deprivation we see day in day out at my school can be quite depressing sometimes.
Steve - you make a good point. We had one little darling in detention last night - I was discussing some work with the teacher holding the DT, in which the kids are supposed to sit quietly and / or get on with some work. To get a Friday after DT you've got to have done something pretty bad, so I knew this one was going to be a little madam... and how! She wouldn't sit down, she kept trying to run out of the classroom, whilst we were working, she kept trying to interrupt us - in the end, I told her that she wasn't being funny and that she needed to be quiet or she'd end up in another DT (the other teacher was ignoring her. and I can't abide that attitude. I know tackling them is sometimes more work than you want, but that's why we have such a problem!). She told me that she thought she was very funny and that I should shut up now. So I put her in a Senior Team DT (an hour next Friday with her Head of House), and she went off on one, saying I was out of order. In the end, she stormed out of the DT and that she wasn't 'doing no DTs, you can fuck right off'.
What a lovely kid...
But then, on the other hand, I had another kid during the day who came to see me to thank me for helping her the other day... so it is all swings and roundabouts. The vast majority of them are good, we just tend to forget that because the bad ones are so very bad and take up all of our time. Which is terrible, because we should be able to give our attention to the good ones, but since the inclusion policy came in (where we have to try to keep them in the classroom so they are not 'disadvantaged'), we're screwed. As far as I am concerned, if the muck about, they should be out, but every single policy is geared towards 'supporting' the ones who muck about, not helping the ones who work hard. Which kind of sucks... :(
Blimey Elysia We lived in Stamshaw before we moved to good old Zummerzet.
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