Brandi brought up an interesting and controversial point in class the other night. How far do we go when reaching out to our students? Do we give out phone numbers? Do we check on students at home? When we read disturbing essays, journals, notes, do we confront the student? Involve the parents?

When we see other teachers crossing appropriate student/teacher boundaries, what is our role?

Obviously, this depends on a case by case basis as well as the individual.

Just wondering if you guys have personal stories from your experience as students and/or teachers where you were forced to examine and/or compromise your ethics.

I know my experience as a student, I had a teacher in high school who gave us his phone number and said to call if we ever had a problem. I can only think of one instance that I know another student called him. This student had good reasons for it. The teacher happened to be the major of the small town the school was in, plus this was the third time he had taught the majority of the students in the class. I don't see a major problem with helping, expecially when I know something bad or harmful is going on, but I will draw the line at giving out my personal information outside of an email. There may be situations where this is warranted, but the rules and regulations of the school and system must be addressed when doing anything with students; especially in today's world where the goings on of a school are under some public scrutiny.

I have to agree with Daniel. I believe that giving out an email address is okay, but anything more is beyond what the students need to have. One might bring up the point that some students do not have computers at home. I believe that if something dire is happening and you need to be invovled the student, principal, other teachers, etc. will get in touch with you somehow. With email, you can delete a message that may not be appropriate. However, with a telephone call, it might possibly be recorded and could be used against you.

Being such a helpful teacher as to give out personal information and help certain kids on your own time is probably what will be the changing force in the student’s lives. The only thing is that if ONE thing goes wrong with the information, the student, or some rumor that gets started then you will forever be tainted as a teacher with a questionable past. For someone who is planning on teaching for their entire career you simply can not take this risk and expect to maintain your position without some serious difficulties along the way.

I agree that the personal information of a teacher should not be handed out for kids to use. I do however feel that we should encourage the students in our class to call 911 in emergencies and possibly provide a list of hotlines that kids can call in other emergencies (ie rape, abuse, neglect, etc...) If kids have the knowledge and information in front of them, they might use it because otherwise if they don't have it they might not know who to call. I don't know how effective this will be considering some kids might throw it out or be too embarrassed to call. Just a suggestion.

Daniel said that "Being such a helpful teacher as to give out personal information and help certain kids on your own time is probably what will be the changing force in the student’s lives." Well, I believe that you can be a mentor or a role model to your students without having to give out personal information. If you can maintain your integrity, your students will see this and will probably do more than jst respect you, rather they will want to be like you and to be able to engage in the same activities that you engage them in. I believe that encouraging kids does not have to stop at only the classroom level. For istance, you can go to a football to cheer on the football players in your classes. You can be a coach for some sport (hopefully not in the first year).

i think that what every one said here and in class is very true. I think that it also depends on where you are teaching at and if you are a male or a female teacher. I think that if you feel the need to give out personal information, then do it. Go with your gut feeling. If your principal will back you up, then you really do not have to worry about it. I cannot say right now that I will or will not give out my home phone number or address or email....but if I am suspious of a situation in my classroom, and if a student needed me and I knew that they had no one else to turn to, then i would probably give out my phone number. I just think that it depends on how you feel.

I agree with Hannah. If you have the backing from your principal and your fellow teachers, and you are comfortable giving out that information, then I would do it. As of right now, I am not very comfortable with the idea of giving out my information to my students. I guess it all depends on the students you have and the stituation you are in.

I think that a teacher needs to be very careful in what information that they make available to students. I think their comes a time when a teacher needs to become more involed in situations but that should be decided when the incident arises.

I think this all depends on the grades that we teach. I personally think that middle school and high school students do not need their professors home numbers and cell phone numbers. There is plenty of time after school that the students can go talk to their teachers on campus. Unlike the elementary school children most high shcool students drive thierselves to school and could be capable of taking a few seconds out of their day to speak with them at the end of the day. I would not even trust giving out my number to the students with the backing of the principal. You really do not know whose hands your number can fall in and what some children are thinking today. You may come across that student who has come close to failing your class and has a little hatred toward you and in turn uses what he has to take you down either with a assult, prank calls or even conviction of something you have never done to them. I think that as long as you have office hours that can be used by all and leave time in class open for questions then there should not be a need to give out your number or personal information.

When I was in high school, the only teachers' numbers I ever had was my baseball coaches. They would frequently have to give players (myself included) rides to and from games and practices. This, I believe, is the only time that a teacher's personal phone number should be given out. Even this is probably taking a risk. It amazes me to think that sometimes a coach couldn't give his number to his players, but I guess that’s the world we live in today. When I start teaching, I will only give out my email and maybe my office phone number.