Liz Johnson

Copy Editor

Students at most schools would be freaked out if they came across their math teacher’s Facebook. They might laugh and tell their friends, “Mr. So-and-so has a Facebook!” But would they add him as a friend?

Certainly not.

However, at Northwest it is not strange at all for a student to have a handful of teachers on their friends list.

“I don’t have a problem with being friends with my teachers on Facebook,” said freshman Kaitlin Clow.

The social networking site created by Mark Zuckerburg in 2004 allows people to create events, share pictures, and keep in touch with friends. This popular online community also opens up a convenient way for students to talk to their teachers, who in turn also take advantage of this online connection.

Theater teacher Corey Mitchell posted the cast list for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, this year’s fall musical, on his Facebook, knowing that all of his students would see it.

Musical theater and piano teacher Matthew Hinson actively uses his Facebook to communicate with his students. Hinson has created groups for the high school and middle school musical theater departments, as well as the community choirs he directs in Concord.

“It’s very beneficial,” he said, “because students can ask me questions without interrupting me, and I can make sure they get an answer.”

Using Facebook is a surefire way for students to get their teachers’ messages. “I can send one message to everyone who’s a member of the musical theatre group about which days we’ll dance, and then everyone knows what is going on,” Hinson said. He prefers Facebook to sending out mass e-mails like some teachers. Students who have profiles are guaranteed to check them almost daily, which makes it much more reliable than the seldom-checked e-mail account.

When does this newfound online resource become creepy?

“It doesn’t,” said Hinson, who keeps all of his students on limited profile even after they have graduated. The limited profile is a useful tool he uses that limits access to what students are able to view.

“It’s not like people can see all my information,” he said. Applications like “Wall,” which lets people post short comments on their friends’ profiles, are hidden in limited profile view, protecting the privacy of the user.

The benefits of Facebook outweigh the anxiety some teachers feel connecting with their students in cyberspace. According to Hinson, “Facebook makes my job easier. I don’t have to get angry at students because they always know what is going on.”