Job Discussion Forums

[Teacher in Rome]

This thread comes about because I happened to see our Dave's profile on FB. Having only seen his public photos here (and I've seen about three in the last decade!) I always assumed that he was a slightly earnest (in the nicest possible way!) ESL teacher type. I'm delighted to report that he looks like a lot of fun! (Rock on Dave!!)

But it got me thinking. How much of yourself do you share with your students? I very rarely reveal personal details (they know I'm married, but not that I have a tattoo or even that I can play a musical instrument, for that matter). I never give out my FB profile or even share the fact that I run an ESL website... It's not that I'm deliberately secretive, but that I don't feel it's relevant to them.

So what about you? Is it a question of TMI or not crossing professional boundaries? Does it depend on cultural norms / age range of students? What are you comfortable sharing, and what do you keep private at all costs?

[spiral78]

I think it's probably quite a lot to do with the culture in which you're teaching. In my situation (and I think it's similar across most of the European continent), students don't really expect to know your age or marital status or other personal details. Our value to them is not sort of as a showpiece, but what we can actually do to support their goals, so our personal lives don't really play a part.

Mine know I'm married and a little about my professional background (relevant to them) but why bore them with any of the rest? A few have met the schnauzer, but that's just in passing, not planned.

And before someone jumps in to chastise us for not being 'friendly' and 'warm' and 'relating to the students,' I'll note that my students are very aware that I'm ready and willing to help support their work in any way that I (fairly) can - I consistently get high student ratings and have done for nearly two decades. Even when I don't remember their names, frankly:-)