Hugo:

I agree with your comments completely.  The issue of boundaries is meant to protect both students and teachers from abuse and misunderstandings.  Whenever there is a power differential, the issue of boundaries becomes relevant.  As someone who is going to evaluate a student, teachers are responsible for explaining to students the reason for boundaries and maintaining them even if students don't understand.  

Teachers play an important role in instructing students on content (ESL, numeracy etc.) and can also instruct students on appropriate social and professional skills..  And as several of you have pointed out, we also play a role in conveying the cultural norms of the particular local.

Best,

Bertie 




________________________________
From: "HKerr at aol.com" <HKerr at aol.com>
To: diversity at nifl.gov
Sent: Fri, October 23, 2009 5:33:23 AM
Subject: [Diversity 1144] Re: Boundaries of professional relationships

In a message dated 22/10/2009 18:16:58 GMT Daylight Time, katherine.gotthardt at gmail.com writes:
dressing down can cloud boundariesThis sort of thing resonates from the UK - here we are seeing a lot of very unpleasant advantages being taken of teachers who use personal mobiles to contact students, for example, or are on facebook type sites. Students even film teachers and post. There is the ancient issue of the socially inappropriate student and occasionally the actually vicious. Indeed, today in the UK, there is a culture of increased allowance of the use, and even abuse, of people for entertainment (and I do not mean solely the television companies!).

Hugo

at:http://www.hugokerr.info
"We're here to help each other get through this thing - whatever it might be." (Kurt Vonnegut) 
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