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"The pen is mightier than the sword." Many people are familiar with this phrase that was coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839. There is no denying the power of the written word. While the original phrase was coined a long time ago, I feel an updated version of it might be, 'the keyboard is mightier than the pen.'
Social media is any form of online publication or presence that allows end users to engage in multi-directional conversations. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, blogs and countless other social media outlets are readily available to anyone with a computer, cell phone or other personal electronic device. The value of using social media is undeniable. It is a great way to catch up with long lost friends, brag about your child(ren)'s accomplishments, show pictures of your latest adventures, and countless other things.
Social media is a powerful communication tool. There really is no other way to reach the magnitude of people in such a short time. Information can be pushed out to thousands of people in a matter of seconds. As with anything that is so prevalent in society, there is great potential to misuse social media.
One of the biggest drawbacks of social media is the desire to post negative comments about a teacher or staff member. Recently, it has been brought to my attention about a disturbing trend on social media: parents venting about their children’s teachers. The complaints are usually similar in nature — their child said the teacher was mean, or they were being picked on in class and nothing was done about it, or the parent tried to contact the teacher and didn’t hear back immediately, or the teacher gave my child an F. Parents venting about teachers and schools on social media is a tricky one for schools to navigate. It can cause great frustration and stress to individual teachers, and, given the public nature of the criticism, the spin-offs with pupils and other parents and colleagues can compound the problems. Comments like “Everyone in my son’s class failed this test, the teacher is unreasonable” or “The coach is not letting my child play” may be intended to simply blow off steam, but it can spiral quickly, with no opportunity for clarification from a teacher.
The unfortunate part is that in many cases, parents don’t even attempt to speak with the teacher before venting on social media. They take the word of a single child, without question, as the unbiased truth and reality. Unfortunately, once a negative comment is posted, people start piggybacking onto it or express support when they do not have all the facts or information. While everyone certainly has the right to do so, I would ask you to think how you would feel if you read negative comments about yourself that were not accurate. Quite often, something that may have been clarified by a meeting, phone call, or email becomes a much larger issue.
According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, one in 10 respondents believed users of social media are “easily confused and believe everything they see or read or are not sure what to believe.” When something is posted on social media and others jump on board to agree or share, it may be taken as factual whether it’s true or not, and that can damage an educator’s professional reputation.
As an educator, I can’t help but feel defensive every time I read one of these posts, and I wonder what parents hope to gain by publicly shaming someone they may have never met or spoken to. Quite often you might get sympathy or rile up other people, which will only make the situation worse, at least in the short term.
So, it’s worth talking to a teacher, preferably in person and with your child present, before you take to social media. I’ve heard kids of all ages say they “hate” certain teachers or that teachers are “mean” for reasons that might make sense to kids but would not be valid to an adult. Maybe the teacher denied someone a hall pass, asked them to put away their cell phone, or held them accountable for their behavior in class. Maybe the teacher asked the student to work hard and study for an upcoming quiz or test. It is important to understand the context of the complaint.
Not everyone who teaches wants to save the world, but they do want to be a positive influence in your child’s life, and they work countless hours preparing lessons and work hard to make sure your child has an amazing educational experience. We are not perfect and sometimes mistakes are made, but teachers do operate with the best interests of the students.
In closing, AVA is fortunate to have such amazing teachers and staff who work hard to create a positive learning environment for the students. Please know that all the AVA staff truly care about all our students. There is a saying, sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know. If you have a concern or question, please reach out directly to the teacher. Never feel bad or hesitant to advocate for your child, but please partner with the teacher so we can move forward and ensure your child will always learn in a safe and caring environment.
Bob Barber
AVA Principal
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