It was bound to happen.
Educator blogs.
Educator offends.
Educator gets fired.
Sooner or later someone in my profession was going to lose their job for writing a blog (Click HERE and HERE to read the whole story).
A bad blog can be your last blog.
Lucky for me, I’ve never written a bad blog (or a good one now that I think about it…).
This story caught my interest because I’ve had people ask, “Aren’t you worried about being fired because of your blog?”
No.
The PrincipalsPage.com Blog isn’t that bad (it’s what I like to call consistently mediocre…).
Plus, I can be fired for all kinds of things (legal reasons prevent me from going into more detail).
Having a blog shouldn’t increase the chances of losing your job.
In fact, the benefits of blogging far outweigh the risk of being unemployed.
A blog is a chance to help people, not hurt them.
I do worry stories like this one will make educators hesitant to blog and it shouldn’t.
As with most things in life, it all comes down to common sense.
The rule for educators blogging is quite simple (and there’s just one).
Don’t blog about anything you wouldn’t say loudly in public.
If it’s not appropriate for the teacher’s lounge, the school hallway, the office, at a parent-teacher conference, or in the stands of an athletic event, don’t blog about it.
It’s not that hard.
If it deals with a student or employee, error on the side of caution.
One day someone will walk in my office (or former office as it will then be called) and say, “Get a box. Get your stuff. And get out!”
But it won’t be for a bad blog (again, legal reasons prevent me from going into the exact details of what will lead to my inevitable unemployment).
Mainly because I try to think before I type.
And certainly before I hit post.
Blogging isn’t hard. Good judgment is.
Phil Gaton"