3 Ways to Ensure Your Email and Social Media don’t get you in trouble.
You might be asking, why would I think that my email and/or social media could get me in trouble? What are you talking about?
Everyone has told you numerous times to “Be careful what you put on Social Media because it can come back to haunt you.”
This is so so so true
I learned early on in my administrative career that my email tone was a lot more formal and “to the point” than my normal speaking voice. I don’t know why that is, maybe it was a result of all the Masters classes I took and the papers I had to write.
So, knowing this about my emails, I learned to pick up the phone and talk to the person before sending the email. I’ve learned (that for me) this takes away any doubt about what I was intending to say.
Before I dive into telling you about the 3 Steadfast Rules you need to follow, I want to be sure to offer you my FREE downloadable list; 101 Teacher Tips; The Ultimate List to Teaching. Just fill out the form below and I will zip it to you right away to your email.
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The 3 Steadfast Rules to follow in order to stay out of trouble
I mentioned earlier that my masters courses had numerous writing assignments. Along with these, there are a couple of courses that have left a lasting impression with me.
One of them was a course on Human Relations; this dealt with HR issues, observations
The one specific item that has stayed with me over the years was when my professor said this in regards to “WHAT WE PUT IN WRITING.“
He said: “Never put into writing anything that you would not want to be read in these three circumstances:”
- in the courts
- in the press
- by your mother
Take a minute to think about these three places
Would you want the content of your email or Social Media post (or text message too) to be offered as evidence in the courtroom? Is there a reason it could be a concern?
What about the press? This may not be as much of an issue now that many towns no longer have a local paper. When I heard this rule, I was picturing in my mind the local paper.
But it could still be in the “News”. How many times has an item or incident gone viral only to find out that the news outlets had the scenario wrong? Would you want that to be you? Would you want to be accused of something before the true facts are brought out? NOT ME!!
And of course, the third scenario is “your mom.” My mom and dad were my moral compasses. I never wanted to disappoint them. And they ALWAYS set excellent examples to me and my siblings on what the correct thing to do and say WAS! I WOULD NEVER WANT TO DISAPPOINT HER!
Some examples to ensure that your email and social media don’t get you in trouble.
So, I’m sure some of you are wanting examples of what I’m talking about. Here are a few:
- You get an angry email from a parent about something their child says happened in class. Because of this you can’t sleep all night worrying about it.
- You send your colleague a quick email because she hasn’t returned your (whatever) to you. When she reads it she thinks you are angry with her.
- You post a picture of your class on Social Media, but one child is not supposed to be in pictures (per the parents’ wishes). The parents are threatening a lawsuit.
- Your principal sends an email out to all the teachers and everyone is upset about what it says.
Now let’s look deeper at each of these
The parent is going by what their child has told them happened. When you call the parent to discuss the incident, you realize it is a misinterpretation due to the child’s immature age and inability to explain what happened in class. Once you explain what really happened in class that day to the parent, the issue is resolved.
For the email to your colleague. You typed it really quickly at the end of the day and you were a little annoyed that the item hadn’t been returned. You were not ANGRY with your friend, but your interactions were awkward for a few months afterward because of your hasty email.
The picture on Social Media is a BIG ONE. If you do not have written permission (PROOF) from the parent for the child to be in pictures, DON’T DO IT! You are violating privacy laws and can be sued (as well as the school district). I’m sure this is explained to all teachers at the beginning of each school year, but it’s easy to forget.
And the final one probably happens more than any of us would like. Some Principals make statements to an entire staff of teachers due to something that only one teacher has done. This should actually be handled by the principal speaking personally with the ONE teacher who did the wrong thing, and not to the whole staff.
Nothing makes people more annoyed than to be accused of doing something that you didn’t do and don’t ever do.
Just for your information, I have written two other articles about Principals that you might be interested in reading. They are here:
Teaching Observations; What Your Principal Wants to See!
Teacher, What Does Your Principal Look for in Your Classroom?
Now can you see how this can cause problems?
Also during my Masters courses, we were advised that if we were upset about something and tempted to send out an angry email we should do the following instead.
Type the email and then SAVE IT AS A DRAFT! Then wait 24 hours before sending it out.
By following this procedure for your emails, two important things take place. First, by writing/typing it out, it releases some of your frustrations, and you are able to document the incident.
Secondly, you tend to cool off quite a bit in 24 hours. When you look at it the next day, you can then decide how it should be revised, or IF YOU SHOULD EVEN SEND IT OUT AT ALL!
If you decide not to send it out, you can quickly print it out (so you have a written account of what happened that day) and then DELETE IT!
PROBLEM SOLVED. But if you choose to revise it and send it anyway, remember the 3 rules above; would you want this read in court, in the press , or by your mom? IF NOT, then don’t push SEND!
Until next time,
Your Teacher Buddy Dawn
