How to communicate online
Your school, college or workplace account
Online communication can encourage casual dialogue, for example; emojis, text-speak and GIFs. These can often disarm inhibitions, bringing a new dimension and ‘feel’ to relationships. As a result, traditional boundaries between teacher, learner, colleagues, parents and carers, can become blurred. Teachers need to be alert to this by maintaining a professional tone online. In your professional capacity, you should communicate with learners, parents and carers through official school or college platforms. This helps build professional relationships and maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Your personal account
Your commitment to maintaining teaching standards is central to the integrity of professional regulation. It is important to consider what you post online, on social media, and who and what you associate with on social media.
Engaging safely and ethically online isn’t just about what you post, it’s also about who you follow and what they post. Many people do not need to be as mindful online as teachers do, which is why you need to be vigilant about who you allow into your networks, who you share your personal account(s) information with and what is shared through your social media. You need to exercise professional and ethical diligence when your personal and professional life inhabit the same communities.
Comments from family, friends or others may not be appropriate for teachers to share. It’s important to assess the suitability of posts thoroughly before they are shared to prevent any negative associations and their impact on your professional standing.
Your online activity may be searched by learners, parents or carers or potential employers.
Checking your personal online accounts and restricting privacy settings will help you control your online footprint. Practising good cyber security helps minimise the risk of your conversations, photos, events attended – anything linked to your personal life - being accessed and altered. You should review your visible historic social media posts to ensure they align with your professional values. Once you post, you have lost control over the comment or data you have shared.
Keeping learners’ data safe
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As a trusted teacher you have access to sensitive information about learners. You must collect, store and use personal data safely and lawfully. Failure to do so can have legal implications. Learners’ data takes different forms and is gathered and stored in a variety of ways. Data must be obtained with appropriate permissions, used for specific purposes, and stored securely. If it is not, the data is more vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches. It is important to be aware that under data protection legislation, learners have a right to request a copy of the information held on them; and this includes on social media.
You should ensure that you are familiar with, refer to and carefully follow your school, college or employer’s data protection policy and privacy notices when accessing and using learners’ data.
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Your school, college or workplace account
Online communication can encourage casual dialogue, for example; emojis, text-speak and GIFs. These can often disarm inhibitions, bringing a new dimension and ‘feel’ to relationships. As a result, traditional boundaries between teacher, learner, colleagues, parents and carers, can become blurred. Teachers need to be alert to this by maintaining a professional tone online. In your professional capacity, you should communicate with learners, parents and carers through official school or college platforms. This helps build professional relationships and maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Your personal account
Your commitment to maintaining teaching standards is central to the integrity of professional regulation. It is important to consider what you post online, on social media, and who and what you associate with on social media.
Engaging safely and ethically online isn’t just about what you post, it’s also about who you follow and what they post. Many people do not need to be as mindful online as teachers do, which is why you need to be vigilant about who you allow into your networks, who you share your personal account(s) information with and what is shared through your social media. You need to exercise professional and ethical diligence when your personal and professional life inhabit the same communities.
Comments from family, friends or others may not be appropriate for teachers to share. It’s important to assess the suitability of posts thoroughly before they are shared to prevent any negative associations and their impact on your professional standing.
Your online activity may be searched by learners, parents or carers or potential employers.
Checking your personal online accounts and restricting privacy settings will help you control your online footprint. Practising good cyber security helps minimise the risk of your conversations, photos, events attended – anything linked to your personal life - being accessed and altered. You should review your visible historic social media posts to ensure they align with your professional values. Once you post, you have lost control over the comment or data you have shared.
Keeping learners’ data safe
{{big-quote-01}}
As a trusted teacher you have access to sensitive information about learners. You must collect, store and use personal data safely and lawfully. Failure to do so can have legal implications. Learners’ data takes different forms and is gathered and stored in a variety of ways. Data must be obtained with appropriate permissions, used for specific purposes, and stored securely. If it is not, the data is more vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches. It is important to be aware that under data protection legislation, learners have a right to request a copy of the information held on them; and this includes on social media.
You should ensure that you are familiar with, refer to and carefully follow your school, college or employer’s data protection policy and privacy notices when accessing and using learners’ data.
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End of document
COPAC 2.1 – You must treat sensitive, personal information about learners with respect and confidentiality and not disclose it unless required to do so by your employer or by law.
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COPAC 4.5 – Be mindful of Data Protection Act requirements concerning handling information about parents, carers and learners.
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