As educators, we must work to diligently safeguard our reputations. Within this increasingly digital age, educators now need to vigilantly monitor and maintain their digital reputations as well. Here are some quick tips to help you do you…

This list is presented in no particular order and is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list. I welcome any constructive suggestions you may have…perhaps I’ll add or incorporate your idea! Stay tuned…

Take personal responsibility for your actions.

I often say, “Don’t do dumb stuff, but when you do, own it!” This is an all-encompassing tip for life, but certainly applies with respect to use/misuse of technology. Everyone makes poor choices and/or a mistake at some point or another. Recognize when it happens to you. Own that this was your choice or mistake. Admit to yourself (and others, if necessary) that it happened. Work to make it right (i.e., find a workable solution, admit wrong doing, apologize, make restitution).

Keep work life and private life separate.

Yes, some of your colleagues become personal friends and may correspond with you outside of work…that is fine. Ensure that such relationships do not cross boundaries and devolve into the “unprofessional” (e.g., disparaging talk about others, gossip, compromising photos/videos, ethical missteps, confidentiality issues). If necessary, have separate social media accounts designated for your professional and your personal lives. Maintain privacy settings accordingly. Ensure that your private social media is “locked tight” so that only friends and family can view and read your postings. 

Don’t communicate or post photos or stories about students, staff members, or the workplace using personal digital technology without written consent.

Follow district policies regarding communication about students. Follow district’s policies regarding difficult situations that occur among staff members and/or in the workplace.

Ask yourself, “Is it worth posting?”

Follow the Golden Rule (i.e, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”) when writing or posting anything. Think about whether you would want someone to post this about you. 

Don’t correspond with students!

Even after students graduate, use discretion. This protects you as much as it protects them. In addition, it further separates your professional and private lives in healthy ways.

Consider how your post may be interpreted (or misinterpreted). 

Keep comments that can be misconstrued off your social media. Especially be careful when posting about religion, social issues, politics, social events (e.g., photos with alcohol in them), and hot-button topics. Yes, this is “not fair,” but as an educator, you are a “public figure” within your school community. What you say/write/post can reflect positively and negatively on you, your school, and your district despite the best of intentions.

Do not leave personal devices (e.g., cell phones, laptops, iPads) unattended or unlocked.

Since you cannot control what others send to you, you need to maintain control over your devices so that someone does not “accidentally” view a posting or message that causes them to be upset or causes you unnecessary struggles. Doing this helps to protect your personal data, too.

Only use district approved apps and sites; preview YouTube videos, other online videos, and/or websites to be used in class; follow the district technology agreement regarding policies of use.

This protects both you and your students from unsafe online situations that may land someone on an inappropriate or compromising website. If you “need” to access a site that is not preapproved, request permission from you district’s tech department; if deemed appropriate, the site can be unlocked. 

Communicate professionally and appropriately. (NOTE: Texts are discoverable in legal proceedings and fairly easy to recover.)

As in all interactions, maintain professionalism in all situations. When in doubt, have someone else proofread your correspondence before sending it to verify that you are properly and effectively communicating and that the words cannot be misinterpreted or your intent be misrepresented.

Make sure you understand which students can be photographed and which cannot (student privacy).

Maintaining student privacy and respecting parents’ wishes is paramount. This builds trust…and prevents possible lawsuits. 

Protect student safety and privacy first and foremost!

As educators, student safety is paramount. Provide students with effective guidelines and monitoring when they are working online. Give them the training and tools they need to learn how to work safely within an online environment.