Teacher Personal Information

Sharing Personal Information

It’s a great idea, as a new teacher, to share information about yourself with others—but be selective. Be mindful of how much you share, and with whom. It’s up to you to decide what you share about your professional life with your peers. In terms of what you share about your personal life, however, keep things close until you get to know everyone else better. Information you share about yourself with adult faculty members will also be very different from what you decide to share with your students.

Considerations

• Personal stories—Sharing personal stories with students is a fantastic way to develop interpersonal relationships and gain students’ trust.
  • Be mindful of what you share.
  • Always think from the perspective of the parents. What stories would be okay for their child to hear?
  • Shared stories could include the following:
    • Your travels
    • Your own education experiences
    • Your interests in movies, music, musical instruments, athletics
• E-mail address—E-mail is sometimes the easiest way for parents to keep in touch with you.
  • Be prepared to receive and respond to all correspondences.
  • Do not give out your personal e-mail address.
  • Give out only your professional e-mail address, if you choose to correspond with parents through e-mail.
  • Remember that professional e-mail can serve as documentation.
• Phone number—It is not recommended to give students or their parents your personal phone number, though this is a personal choice.
  • Receiving calls—Provide the school’s phone number. Parents can call and leave you a message.
  • Making calls—Use the school phone to avoid having your personal phone number show up on caller ID.
• Discussions—Keep discussions at work on a professional level, even if you are comfortable with your colleagues.
  • Does what you are discussing relate to school?
  • Is what you are sharing confidential student information?
  • Would you say this to an administrator or parent?
  • Is the conversation merely school gossip or hearsay? Don’t get caught up in it.
• Photographs—Bring personal pictures into class as a way to share your life with students.
  • Share only pictures that are school-appropriate and relevant to class discussion.
  • Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words—be careful what you share.