My teacher just added me on Facebook! Social Media at SLA

Science Leadership Academy is very different from most schools in the way that the students and teachers build strong relationships, while maintaining their professionalism. It is acceptable to have a teachers’ phone numbers and call or text them, to add or be added by your teachers on Facebook, and to chat them as long as students keep their conversations professional to a certain degree.

At many schools this kind of contact is frowned upon, or even banned. But at SLA, many students are fine with the practice. “It kind of adds to our school environment that we can talk to our teachers and feel safe talking to them” says Sophomore Jhonas Dunakin. “It makes the school an overall better environment.”

At SLA, teachers want students to feel comfortable, but to still be able to take on the responsibility of doing their own work. As a result, students are given a lot of flexibility about how and when they seek support. When students need help and support to achieve the goals we want to, our teachers are always there to help. Part of the support system is that students can email teachers, or instant message them when they want criticism, advice, or have questions on anything we learned in school.

Although it is optional for teachers to add their students on social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and iChat, it makes the community more cohesive.

Math Teacher Sunil Reddy said his original policy was that he wasn’t going to friend students for the sake of maintaining his image as a teacher. Things like his pictures from college weren’t really that bad, but it just wasn’t stuff he wanted students to see.

Over time, however, he changed his mind. “Eventually I just had so many friend requests from students that I just decided to make a new account, this way I didn’t have to worry about censorship.”

Other teachers choose not to add students until they graduate, while others go ahead and request students. Whatever path they choose in social media, teachers take the time to personalize learning at SLA, which in a way helps students prepare for college and the real world.