I haven’t mentioned it, but it’s no big secret; I’m going to be working at a different school next year. I’ll still be teaching history, and I’ll still be in the Bronx, so nothing much around here is going to change.
It has, however, caused a COMPLETE meltdown among my students, who just found out (which was not my idea). (Someday I will write a book called “How To Destroy The Faculty In A High School In Just Six Demoralizing Months.”) I’ve looped with these kids, so they’re pretty attached, and I’m attached to them, too. There was crying. There were threats. Two kids told me they’d drop out if I left. Some others asked where I was going, to see if they could transfer. It’s all histrionics, which I know intellectually, but it’s hard to deal with in person. (About 75% of the teachers are leaving, so the kids are REALLY UPSET. This is the danger of a small school with brand new teachers, many of whom are TFA or TF; they leave.)
Once everyone calmed down — which took a while — the kids asked me to make a MySpace so they can still talk to me next year. I’m hesitant, because it breaks all kinds of “be careful about what you say to students” rules to talk to the kids online. So would it be a really stupid idea to put a MySpace? Would it get me in trouble? I’m really, really going to miss the kids.
Teaching (smarter) 
Go ahead and make a MySpace but just make it clear that it should be kept clean. Delete inappropriate comments ASAP, etc and block kids who have nasty pictures or something. Alternatively, Facebook seems to be more clean and easier on the eyes. You could create a group just for your kids. Or, you could just create a new AIM/Yahoo screen name and give it to them, along with your e-mail address…
I think giving your students a way to be in touch with you (and with each other in your presence) is awesome — the sort of thing that could be majorly sustaining for them in the coming years — but a MySpace isn’t necessarily the best way, because it ups the risk that they’ll forget what little they know about appropriateness or that you’ll encounter information about them that you’ll feel obliged to do something about or that they’ll encounter extra information about you or that it’ll just sound sketchy to crusty old people who don’t know better. Could you set up, like, a wiki or a blog or a listserv or some other community that would be just for your interactions with them?
I’m sorry to be a spoilsport, but I’d advise you to use the DoE email address only. Your students will have another teacher next year, you’ll have another class, and a spot on the internet that could be used against you at some point by the capricious and petty bureaucrats who run this system is not a good idea at all.
NYC Educator is right, but….
Don’t use your DoE email unless you absolutely are required to. It is not private.
Not private?
That’s right, the DoE has the right to take a look at all you send and receive. If you are almost every normal person, there are some business e-mails that include some personal chit chat. It is very very easy to inadvertantly cross lines. So,
no DoE e-mail, unless absolutely necessary. Please.
Jonathan
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