There is no denying that in this day and age the majority of people have access to social media. However social media’s uses differ depending on your stage in life; for a teenager social media is a method of keeping in touch with friends and for acquiring an array of information. For an adult, it is much the same except from the raised level of maturity during use. For a teacher I feel that this level of maturity is once again higher as we need to adhere to the GTCS Code of Professionalism and Conduct.
In the way of professionalism social media such as Facebook offers teachers the ability to remain in contact with colleagues at all times and hence share professional opinions and advice on a range of topics. Methods of teaching and help with resources may also be discussed confidentially through this tool. From personal experience the use of closed groups on Facebook such as the group I am a member of ‘Staffroom – resources and websites’ stand as proof that social media can be beneficial in a professional educational environment.
However on the other hand social media does not go without it’s faults. As teachers the risk of breaking the GTCS Codes of Professionalism and Conduct is always prominent and therefore we are required to take sufficient measures to avoid this from happening. I personally think there should be very little crossover between private and professional uses of social media. Teachers face many challenges when having social media accounts in the 21st century as it does not require a great deal of effort to search the name of an individual. This highlights the importance of managing privacy account settings and using them to their full potential so that their private life is kept fully confidential. By doing this the risk of merging your professional and social life is lowered significantly.
Overall social media is a great tool in a professional environment when used appropriately furthermore it is also useful when used privately to deal in personal affairs. However allowing your private life to interfere with your profession is not acceptable which is why there are means of keeping the two separate. By doing this we allow both to coexist and meet the GTCS Code of Professionalism and Conduct.
