I've read several articles about teachers getting punished for how they live their lives outside of school. For example, teachers have been fired from private Christian schools for having children out of wedlock. Also, Teachers have gotten in trouble for co-habitating with a boyfriend or girlfriend without being married or (on the same page) being gay. My question is: should teachers be punished for how they live their lives outside of school? Why or why not?

that is interesting.... i have heard of teachers being fired bc of facebook or mayspace but never for havign children our of wedlock or co-habitation. I do not think that should be allowed. How you live your life outside of school should be his/her own business unless it interfers with their job. I wonder if they were informed before taking the job that co-habitation would get you fired?

If I'm not mistaken until fairly recently there had been a law in NC that you could not live with some one of the opposite sex and not be married. I could be wrong but I'm pretty that was in place until recently. I don't know where the situation of co-habitation occurred that was referenced.

It is an interesting situation when teachers are questioned about what they do outside of school. Do I think it is right that a teacher can get fired because they are seen in a picture of a party? No I do not think it is right, but does it happen? Yes. Like it or not, a teacher is held to a higher standard. This comes from parents wanting their children taught by someone who does not have a single thing going on that the parent does not like. The parents hold the teachers to a standard much higher than the outside public. This in turn causes teachers to be fired for reasons that are, in a way, very unjustifiable. It is something that we, as future teachers, are going to have to deal with. We will have to walk the line between having a personal life that we want but making sure that it can not come back to hurt us. Just something to think about.

I agree! It really sucks that we have to watch what we do but at the same time, we know this before going into our profession. It also has to do with the fact that we are role models for students. But it's understandable that we are normal humans after 4:00. I just feel like you have to be careful of who knows your private life. As long as you aren't broadcasting it and if it is interfering with your work, then I don't see how it matters. And be careful of where you go. If you know you want to go out and have a few beers on the weekend, make sure it's not at a high school hot spot. Because even though if you aren't doing anything illegal, rumors can start which can lead to a bad thing!

Let's also not forget that there are many things considered acceptable that are actually still illegal. Forget about whether you knew co-habitation could get you fired--it's actually illegal in North Carolina. As is ANY extra-marital sex, let alone children out of wedlock. Even getting a hotel room with someone not your spouse is illegal. And that's just the beginning of restrictions on sexual relations in this state.
The trouble is that while most people would never be prosecuted for these things, teachers are under special scrutiny. While I think teachers should be allowed their private lives, I also think that some of these laws need to be contested!

I think that what teachers do on their own private time is their deal, not the schools. Yes, I realize that what we do in our life can get back to our students and possibly effect the way they view us, but just because that MIGHT happen, we shouldn't have to restrict our lives so that we don't live the way we want. If we have a facebook, we should restrict who can see it so our students don't get a hold of it or something, but I feel that getting fired for having a personal life is ridiculous.

I feel that this can become a very touchy subject. In my opinion teachers are held to a standard that many of us do not even meet. Parents expect teachers to have the same morals as their own families, when actually we are all different. Welcome to public schools parents. Therefore, I feel that having our own lives and morals is part of our individuality and what we do outside of school should not affect our jobs. BUT, I think also that responsibility falls on the teacher and we have to be smart about what we do in the eye of public. But for school systems to look for problems because we may be different I do not agree with.

I think that teachers should be able to do whatever they want to do. I do think however that some teachers need to wise up a bit. Who would go out partying with a group of their students AND post pictures on the internet. I almost think they they should be punished for their stupidity.
I think that for the most part, the school needs to stay out of teachers' personal live, but there are those certain instances that just need to be dealt with.

I think teachers should do what they want out of school but still stay within reason. Teachers should not be dancing on bars, drinking excessively, and partying alot where the students or parents might see them. But they should be allowed to have boyfriends, girlfriends, or whatever their sexual prefrence might be. Teachers need to be professional in and outside the classroom.

Well first of all, those laws are absolutely ridiciculous and I completely agree that they should be contested. The government has no right to tell you who you can or cannot live with.

Secondly, if teachers are to be held to such a high standard they should also recieve a high amount of respect and a better place in society. We go through four years of school to get a college degree to make the same amount of money as a manager of a McDonalds. That just really does not make sense.

Should teachers engage in illegal activites? No, of course not. Should they be held to a higher standard than the actual parents are held to? No. If a teacher wants to go to a bar to buy a legal beer and unwind then he or she should not be under suspicion of unscrupulous behavior. Or what if a teacher needs to have a second job in addition to teaching, and he she decides to be a bartender? Is that wrong? There is nothing illegal about it.

I think teachers are seriously underappreciated and at the same time held to an unrealistic standard in society for which there is no reward.

It's one thing to perpetuate the image of the infallible human being and to keep your personal life out of the radar of your employer. It's quite another thing to take away the income of an individual who just had a child even out of wedlock. What kind of message does that send? Let them live on welfare so that we can keep the idea that everyone's perfect in our schools? We already know that kids are having sex without any help from teachers having affairs or children before they are married. 18% of teens have sex by age 15.6 years. Not kissing, holding hands, Sex. What they need to see is that their teacher who makes a mistake is also a responsible person who keeps doing a good job at the school so they can provide for their new child.