Not Your Average Literary Figure

When the average person is thinking of literary figures those who come to mind tend to be famous authors such as Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, or Jane Austen; however, the first literary figure that comes to my mind is Elizabeth Wilson. Never heard of her? No surprise there, unless you one of the fortunate students or staff at Paint Valley School District within the last 8 years. Elizabeth Wilson was my Honors American Literature and AP English Language and Composition teacher during my final two years of high school. She had a much larger impact on my ability to write, read, comprehend, analyze, and critique literature than any of the famous authors mentioned above. Quite frankly, Shakespeare and the others only served as mechanism for which Miss Wilson could nurture my skills from.

            Miss Wilson has a policy for all of her students that once they graduate they can add her as a friend on Facebook. Although this may seem controversial for some, many of her students add her after they graduate each year; being close with her I decide I would do the same. A quick glance through her profile shows that she has no outrageous status or pictures from a night at the club that would violate the activities that are considered the norm for a middle age English teacher. Actually, under closer investigation her Facebook page lends her to be the type of character that one expects and desires, or at least I do, in an English teacher. Pictures mostly of the gardening and remodeling she has done and her friends and family at social events. She does have some pictures of students on such occasions as graduation or in the plays she directs. The pictures of herself would be deemed appropriate by all, not making an attempt to appear overly provocative or seductive. She posts statuses usually containing inspiration quotes by an author or occasionally by herself, all of which are very rhetorically pleasing and grammatically sound. Miss Wilson also takes advantage of the notes feature of Facebook which I did not know existed until I found it on her page. On her notes she has a variety of things ranging from a salute to our veterans, rules on the proper use of periods, commas, and question marks, and short literary pieces she has wrote. Through her works you will find that she clearly knows English and how to write in beautiful prose; the only thing you will find even more evident is her love for her job and students. It is so ever-present on her page the love she has for English and that she loves sharing her love for English with students. However, what you will not find on her page is complaints about working late into the nights on a drama production with students, the rigors of having to teach four sub-subjects of English to students a large portion of are unwilling to learn or any such complaints about her job. Her devotion and compassion towards her students is the one thing that anyone who analyzes her profile will take away from their experience.

            Although some may argue that it is unacceptable to have your teachers or past teachers as Facebook friends, I would argue in the situation that is present around Paint Valley permits such actions. Paint Valley High School is a school of only 375 or so students and a small staff also.  A student is likely to have one teacher all year long for multiple years. This builds close relationships with teachers that both students and teachers wish to keep as they move throughout life.  In different situations this may change. Students could potentially look teachers up before choosing schools and learn about their teachers. This could be either a beneficial or harmful tool for students depending on what they desire in a teacher and how much a teacher leave out for public access on their page. A student seriously concerned about their education could search teacher’s alma maters and teaching careers out from Facebook before they make their decision on what high school to attend. Other less academically-minded students could seek out teachers who seem to be younger and more laid back, the sort of profile that lends a teacher to be “easier”. However, the reverse of this is possible as well; teachers can openly search for students on social media websites. In my opinion this is a much more impactful aspect of Facebook. Who knows the effects and bias that would be create if a teacher knew the personal lives and weekend choices of their student?

Do you find having teachers or ex-teachers as friends on a social networking site is acceptable? Why or why not?

Do you feel like social networking sites are more advantageous for students or teachers in learning about the other?