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TikTok abuse 'is pushing teachers over the edge' by Elaine Dunkley & Hazel Shearing BBC News 12 Nov 2021

This article is from Nov 2021 but it is currently relevant to teachers and students alike so I figured to include it!

Teachers today deal with technology every day—being told to put away your phone as a student is a common occurrence in High school settings. The use of phones in class is mostly frowned upon by educators but occasionally its use is permitted. In this article by BBC news, teachers are said to be burdened by harassment on the popular social media platform, Tiktok. In the article a quote from Mr. Rogers, an educator targeted on the app, said "I think it's pushing some over the edge because of everything we've been through in the last two years," he said, adding that some people were "quite fragile coming out of the pandemic". Taking this into account, I immediately related this article to our readings in ‘Worth Striking For’…teachers are underpaid, over-stressed, and quitting earlier and earlier into their careers. This article featuring teachers being harassed on social media seems to add another layer to teachers' already over-full plates. Another quote in the article states "When a child posts defamatory remarks, or humiliating remarks, on TikTok, it can be seen by up to two million people across the world. That has a really big impact when there is crucially no right to reply for the teacher." To this I wonder, can this negative Tiktok be used to teach? Can this moment be turned around to help better support students or reel them in for more engagement? As mentioned though, the stress of dealing with social media harassment can certainly tip a teacher over the edge if they are already burnt out and considering leaving…and honestly if it was that hard to navigate who would blame them? As a response, Tiktok claimed they would assist educators by removing harmful or derogatory content as well as implementing an online resource for professionals to report content. Perhaps in the future addressing the use of social media in the classroom should be welcomed and included when phones are being used or students are laughing over shared content. As a takeaway, it is important to know not ALL social media is negative but the harmful content can certainly be a test for any teacher to navigate. Understanding that social media is going to be used can help but setting up some guidelines and rules for use will also help students know what is acceptable or not.

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A teacher who has been the target of abuse on TikTok says others in the profession are being "pushed over the edge" by online harassment.

Tom Rogers is one of dozens of teachers who have reported harassment on social media in recent weeks, some of whom have signed off sick.

The posts often feature footage from learning resources used by teachers during lockdowns.

TikTok says it is taking extra measures to remove videos targeting teachers.

And the government plans to introduce laws to make social-media companies more accountable.

History teacher Mr Rogers had been unaware that a clip from one of his virtual lessons had been uploaded to TikTok until a colleague alerted him last week.

When he searched the platform, he found two videos posted from an anonymous account with a combined total of about 12,000 views.

"You're thinking when you go in that kids are laughing at you and everyone's seen it," he told the BBC. "You don't know who's seen it, but you know probably a lot of kids have."

Mr Rogers - whose school the BBC is not naming - reported the videos, but the police were unable to act.

He had not heard back from TikTok by the time he spoke to the BBC, and footage targeting him remained online at the time this story was published.

Mr Rogers said he tried not to let online trolls affect him, but was worried about other teachers who are not as used to social media.

"I think it's pushing some over the edge because of everything we've been through in the last two years," he said, adding that some people were "quite fragile coming out of the pandemic".

"They will quit their jobs, they will have to go off work with stress-related illness because of this. This will be the tipping point," he added.

Tom Quinn, a headteacher and chief executive of the Frank Field Education Trust in the North West of England and West Midlands, told the BBC that two of his teachers were off sick because of the abuse - and that social-media platforms needed to react more quickly in removing the offending videos.

"Over the years teachers and pupils have had relationships and joking relationships and have names for each other. This is different now," he said.

"When a child posts defamatory remarks, or humiliating remarks, on TikTok, it can be seen by up to two million people across the world. That has a really big impact when there is crucially no right to reply for the teacher."

He said the trust was working with the parents of children who had posted videos to ensure they understood the severity of the issue.

"In some of the largely viewed videos, the children are horrified that this has happened. They're the victims, as well, in all of this," he said. "We would urge TikTok to consider that these are children we're talking about, who make mistakes and get it wrong."

A spokesman for TikTok said harassment and bullying had "no place" on the platform.

"We regret the distress caused to some teachers as a result of abusive content posted to our platform," he said.

"We've already deployed additional technical measures and guidance, and we continue to proactively detect and remove violative content and accounts."

The spokesman said TikTok would increase its funding for an online helpline for professionals, which he said would help teachers report content.

"We'll be writing to every school in the country to ensure all staff have access to the resources they need, and we'll continue to work with affected schools, teachers, parents, unions and other partners to stamp out this intolerable abuse."

Headteachers' union the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said it had received more than 50 reports of "disgraceful abuse" and said there were likely to have been "many more" instances.

General secretary Geoff Barton welcomed TikTok's response and said he hoped "this matter can be resolved swiftly".

But he warned that the trend "reinforces the urgent need for regulation of social-media platforms", as teachers were spending time getting the content removed as well as dealing with the fallout of so much disruption during the pandemic.

"Social-media platforms should be legally responsible for ensuring they have processes in place which prevent offensive and abusive material from being posted in the first place," he said.

"This material is extremely distressing for the staff who are targeted. And the young people who are posting it are involved in behaviour which could lead to them being excluded from school and, in extreme cases, being the subject of a police investigation."

School System Minister Baroness Diana Barran said on Twitter that the Department for Education (DfE) was "engaging with TikTok on the steps they are taking to address the issue".

A DfE spokeswoman said the harassment of education staff was "never acceptable" and that online criminal attacks should be reported to the police.

"We are clear that social-media companies need to take action against harmful content on their platforms and we are introducing laws which will usher in a new era of accountability for these social-media companies," she said.

Watch Elaine Dunkley's report on the BBC News at Six on BBC ONE or on iPlayer at 18:00 GMT on Friday 12 November.

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TikTok abuse 'is pushing teachers over the edge'

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A teacher who has been the target of abuse on TikTok says others in the profession are being "pushed over the edge" by online harassment. Tom Rogers is one of dozens of teachers who have reported harassment on social media in recent weeks, some of whom have signed off sick.

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Sue Nieske is a middle school art teacher located in Concord, NC. This article was published on December 29th, 2021, and was written during the pandemic. As a future art educator and mentor to students of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences I often try to tie mental health into my work. Though this particular article is extremely short it is littered with positive quotes from Nieske and summarized well enough for parents, students, and other educators to read through without much thought—which let's face it can be helpful in these stressful times. A portion of the article uses bullet points to explain What you as a reader need to know:

Schools nationwide are grappling with academic learning loss and trauma from the pandemic

As educators prioritize getting kids back up to speed, art education is a field that is steadily declining, according to a recent report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The report says that in one national survey over half of educators say the arts were getting less instructional time and resources (Sectrum news 2021.)

Getting the main points across quickly and in a meaningful way, the article quotes Nieske several times. A favorite of mine which I identified with easily is as follows: "I tell them all the time you don't have to make it happy. It can be dark," Nieske said. "Art is a way for them to explore those conversations." Comparing this experience to my own I was never allowed to customize projects, anything “too much” was heavily frowned upon and discouraged or even excluded. I often had lots of big feelings as a child and teen. Not being able to express them in the art classroom—a place where I felt the happiest—was extremely discouraging. One of the most important bits of advice I have ever heard is to remember that high school kids are just that…kids. In the article Nieske states that “kids need to be creative, and we need to do whatever we can to allow them the freedom and the time and the materials to do that”, these words are even more important as children are growing and learning in the pandemic. Encouraging the creative process via art can offer some much-needed mental relief, give students a voice, and build confidence overall!

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CONCORD, N.C. - "Art is the highest form of hope," is a quote hanging in Sue Nieske's classroom. The words took on a new meaning when the pandemic hit.

After months spent in virtual learning, Nieske wanted her students to roll up their sleeves and get messy. Their assignment was to create a panel focused on the theme of unity.

What You Need To Know

Schools nationwide are grappling with academic learning loss and trauma from the pandemic

As educators prioritize getting kids back up to speed, art education is a field that is steadily declining, according to a recent report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The report says that in one national survey over half of educators say the arts were getting less instructional time and resources

One of her students painted a panel of the city of Pompeii. It represents how throughout history human beings have healed and persevered in the face of tragedy.

"[It is] where we are post-pandemic - that we are actually not covered in ash, that we have hope going forward," Nieske said.

Another student created a rendition of Frida Kahlo's "The Two Fridas," except one of the Fridas was clenching a face mask.

"[It represents] the angst and the heartache of the pandemic," she said.

Nieske hopes the panels help her students unleash their creativity and their feelings.

"I tell them all the time you don't have to make it happy. It can be dark," Nieske said. "Art is a way for them to explore those conversations."

The final products will soon be decorating the halls of Harris Road Middle School.

"When the viewer walks by it, you want them to really stop and feel something. You want to send a message," Nieske said.

Inside her classroom and beyond, creative solutions can be the answer to real-life problems.

"Our kids need to be creative, and we need to do whatever we can to allow them the freedom and the time and the materials to do that," she said.

There are more than 30 acrylic wood panels total.

They will be installed after the holiday break.

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Teacher using art to boost students' mental health

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CONCORD, N.C. - "Art is the highest form of hope," is a quote hanging in Sue Nieske's classroom. The words took on a new meaning when the pandemic hit. After months spent in virtual learning, Nieske wanted her students to roll up their sleeves and get messy.

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In the article, Chicago Teachers Union ratifies deal that ended strike, the Chicago Tribune speaks on what happened when the CTU and hundreds of Chicago public teachers went on strike in 2012. Public school teachers voted to ratify a three-year contract that ended in a bitter dispute with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The strike broke a long stretch of silence—25 years worth—the strike began when 79.1 percent of its members voted in favor of the deal which gave teachers a 17.6 percent pay raise over four years. Roughly 350,000 Chicago students missed seven days of school when teaches walked out of schools. While Myer would agree that teachers were fighting for their clients, he would also likely hint that a strike or the need for one does not align with his idea of what it means to be a professional. I believe Worth would have fully supported the strike itself as the idea of the deal/strike was to assist teachers in doing their job and helping to support their students. The deal itself consists of pay raises, an evaluation system for teachers that factors in student performance on standardized tests, gives principals more authority to hire teachers, and extends the school day. The union was guaranteed laid-off teachers would have seniority when it comes to being rehired in the district though Emanuel demanded that teachers' pay be tied to merit. At the time Chicago teachers made an average of 76,000 annually though that varies among districts. Emanuel also seemed to lean towards supporting charter and private schools, which do not have unions, while saying parents should have more choice. In the same breath, he said school closures would take place if a school did not perform. This left Chicago teachers worried their schools will close as crime-ridden areas have poor statistics—only 60 percent of high school students graduate and 80 percent qualify for free meals based on low family income.

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Chicago Teachers Union ratifies deal that ended strike

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - Public school teachers in Chicago voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract, ending a bitter dispute with Mayor Rahm Emanuel over school reforms that prompted the first strike of city teachers in 25 years. The Chicago Teachers Union said 79.1 percent of its members…

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Art teachers in the news! Only 40% of Mrs. Greens students were attending her online classes during the pandemic so she hopped in her car and tried something out of the box. Mrs. Green drove to different locations all over the state of Arizona to record beautiful scenes for her students. Some 40 field trips were done via zoom one was even to the Grand Canyon where she shared a real-time sunrise with her students. One student shared in the video that the effort Mrs. Green put in meant a lot to her and showed that she cared. Not to mention seeing the beautiful colors inspired the young artist to create. Giving up part of her weekend to paint with students and create murals is a regular occurrence and she doesn’t plan on stopping. Creating motivation and encouraging students can be tough especially with remote learning and obstacles like a lack of resources. Every bit of engagement and effort is appreciated, especially now when students are starting to head back into physical classrooms. Whether its “screen to canvas—or a concrete wall” Mrs. Green proves that loving paint and creating a healthy classroom environment = learning!

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Art teacher goes from virtual trips to beautifying the Valley with her students