Students use Facebook to Oust Teacher’s Blog #iba11

In a special report by EducationTechNews.com, students at Central Bucks East High School in Doylestown PA used Facebook to post "links to teacher Natalie Monroe’s blog on Facebook, where it went viral to a much wider audience". Monroe posted comments about her students on her blog - some examples:

• “A complete and utter jerk in all ways. Although academically OK, your child had no other redeeming qualities.”
• “Just as bad as his sibling. Don’t you know how to raise kids?”
• “Shy isn’t cute in 11th grade; it’s annoying. Must learn to advocate for himself instead of having Mommy do it.”

Image from Daily Fiber.

Hard hitting stuff. Monroe defends her position on her blog. In a post written on 3rd March last, she is "disgusted" and writes "if the people at the top would demand more of parents and students and would support their trained staff, maybe these other issues wouldn't spiral so out of control". She says she is getting much support from "teacher after teacher", and aims her anger at school authorities and writes "What a shitty way to run things". The lady is coming out fighting.

A lot of her support comes from the Freedom of Speech corner - one commenter on the EducationTechNews site writes "teachers should have the freedom to speak their mind". I agree with this. Another commenter also writes that you should not "use your real name if you are going to trash where you work on line" - can't argue with this either. My own position is to not write anything in my own blog that I would not say to anyone's face.

Monroe is now suspended from her job as a teacher pending an investigation. While Facebook was the medium used to catch her out, it is of course not Facebook's fault that this has happened to her. She needs to be more careful what she writes on-line because it WILL be discovered - there is no secrecy.

Some of my own students have told me that they read my blog from time-to-time - so I know not to write anything stupid or derogatory about them. If you blog, you may be writing for a small audience. But be warned - Facebook is watching you!