Should teachers became friends with their students on Facebook ?

We have heard this story way too many times know a teacher being fired because she/he became friends with their students on Facebook .Parents want to know where the boundaries should be when it comes to educators and students using technology outside of school to communicate . No , I am not talking about sending the teacher an email asking them about the assignment of the day . I'm  actually speaking about parents and students becoming friends with their teacher . However , is that okay ?  The opinions on this matter change every day specially because there are always positive and negative comments that could make or destroy the whole requesting your teacher as a friend .

While honestly I have mix feeling about this when I first saw this my answer was clear  NO . I though there are other ways that students and  teacher can   communicate with each other without having to be afraid of the post and pictures that you place on your wall .There are many options for teachers like having a professional blog or Tweeter accounts where they can communicate about specific lessons .There are also apps that could help teachers to send text however the students can not respond . I also believe that every school should have a social media policy that outlines how teachers should and shouldn't interact with students on medias . Students from the very beginning should know that teachers are there to teach not be friends with any of their students.

The of course my opinion change a little when I heard one of my professors explain the success that he had by becoming friend with his students . He explain that they use Facebook to answered question that they had about the ACT . Then I though about it and I believe that this could be a great tool to use to communicate with those students who feel more comfortable asking educational questions behind the screen . I think that if this is mix privacy with an understanding that teachers and students are going to be friends only if its relative to their education. 

At the end of the day is all about the choices that a teacher makes . It the teaches feels comfortable becoming friends on Facebook with their students then go for it . If this is not your thing  because it feels inappropriate or weird just simply decline it. As future educators it is our responsibility to know what works for you and what doesn't. What would your choice be ?