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Alright! To all teachers who are happily showcasing their Facebook profiles out there, here is a reminder from the Ministry of Education Malaysia: YOUR STUDENTS ARE WATCHING YOU! Duh. Hahaha. Last week, I received a rather shocking news from my friend (who is a teacher in Perak) that out of nowhere, the students in his schools posted pictures of him on the school notice board! What kind of pictures? Oh well, those that were not supposed to be revealed in school of course. Like what? Oh come on, like drinking beer in the night club (like the example below- anonymous source via google) and puffing away happily.

 

Instead of taking action on the students (later identified as those trusted dearly by the teacher), the teacher was given a show-cause letter by the school and is currently under investigation by the state education department. My friend was devastated at first but later blamed himself on the issue as it was his fault for posting such pictures online. Some of the teachers out there might feel safe now, but it’s a matter of time when things get worse.

Of course, my friend’s case is not the only one reported. Several other reports have been made lately on the act of certain students (Or maybe by fellow teachers) tarnishing the image of the teachers openly in Facebook. Some even dare to post so-called nude pictures of their teachers ("Photoshop work"). Student stalkers are on the rise in Malaysia and don’t be surprised to see the students exposing some private stories of you in school! You know like…"Oh! Miss Adams is playing farmville in Facebook during teaching hours, how childish and irresponsible is that! And Miss Adams just send hugs to a complete stranger…how scandalous!" Hahaha.

Anyway, here are some valuable advice for teachers owning a Facebook account and want be safe from student stalkers. (Actually, this applies to all FB users):

1. Avoid Adding Students (Especially those in schools. Why? They are not matured enough).

If you insist of adding them then created a well organised list of users in Facebook. Put them in a specific list and limit what they can view from your profile/account. If you don’t know how, refer to this earlier post.

2. Avoid Posting Photos Openly

Keep your album open only to your close friends especially photos that cannot be accepted by the majority! Bear in mind Facebook store your photos in multiple servers to speed up the loading speed. Even though you have deleted it, it will take some time for it to be completely removed in all servers.

3. Avoid Posting Private Notes/Status Openly

Want to confess to your love ones? Well, use the private message instead of the public status shoutout! Remember, the moment it appears on your status, the whole school if not the whole town will know it the next day! Haha. The same goes with other contents that you don’t want to share with the rest of the world.

4. GET OUT OF FACEBOOK COMPLETELY!

Yes! A lot of educators have done this. Deactivate or delete your account is one of the options you might want to consider if you’re getting out of control. Try other professional alternatives like LinkedIn

 

More tips on Facebook Privacy