In this age of smartphones, everyone has to consider public outbursts will be recorded and shared on social media whether in an airplane, Walmart parking lot or classroom.
Hardly a day goes by without a new viral video of a school fight or a teacher/administrator/resource officer caught in an alleged misdeed or momentary lapse of judgment. Snapchat and Instagram are full of images from inside classrooms captured on student phones.
Educators in schools have to proceed as if they are under the surveillance of paparazzi at all times. I am surprised this new reality was overlooked by a West Virginia math teacher who barged into an English class Tuesday to scold a student for reporting him earlier in the day for allegedly watching porn on a computer.
The boy said he been the first student to enter his math classroom and saw his teacher watching something "a 13-year-old should not see at school." The school system has said nothing questionable was found on the teacher's computer but the investigation continues.
According to WOWK 13 News, the 13-year-old boy's mother was not contacted by the school about what her son reported to the office or the teacher's public upbraiding of her son. She only learned of it through social media. (The TV news report is good so please watch it if you want more details.)
Take a look at the video from YouTube:
