I don't Facebook with current students. I don't put my home phone number on my syllabus-- pretty easy, since I don't have a home line.
I most certainly don't give out my cell number to my students.
I was at lunch with a colleague the other day. Her cell phone dinged, indicating the arrival of a new text. "Hmmm," she said, as she wrinkled her nose at her phone. "I'm being reminded that I have an advising meeting at two. The problem is, I don't know which student just texted me. I don't have their number in my phone."
I did my best to hide the "WTF??!!" from my face. The idea of receiving texts from students, let alone storing their numbers in my phone, is completely foreign to me.
I give everything to my job. I have to keep some lines drawn. Some parts of my life need to be kept my own, even if it just my cell phone. Students can reach me by email, and I can choose when to respond. I don't need them texting me on a whim.
Am I overreacting? Are texts from students an inevitable requirement of the job?
