It was a Tuesday night. I had turned my clock away from me so I didn’t have to see how late it was. I was cramming for a test the next day, and as I looked over the material, I could have sworn it was the first time I had ever seen it. I had no idea how to do it.

What did I do?

I logged on to School Town and assessed my options. I could email my teacher, chat my teacher, discuss with my teacher, or message my teacher, all from the handy new portal that all classes are required to use. Since it was rather late at night, and since it kind of creeps me out to have such direct contact to my teachers, I forewent the direct contact and just downloaded the review key. However, not every student has the same qualms I do about talking to their teachers outside of school.

It is undeniably convenient when studying for a test to have every handout ever studied in class at fingertips length, and to be able to reach a teacher four different ways using your computer alone. However, I would argue that with these new, instant forms of communication, we (students and teachers) are crossing a boundary that neither side is too thrilled about crossing, and that boundary is the out-of-school relationships between teachers and students. We see each other for eight hours a day; and now, without getting up from my desk, I can chat, discuss, message, or email my teachers on School Town, not to mention call, text, and regular email. With these latest additions to the overwhelming accessibility, I have heard teachers complaining about too much contact with students. One of my teachers actually had to set a stipulation that no students can call or text her after 9 p.m.

Should that really have to be said? This almost makes me miss the elementary school days when I just assumed that teachers were locked up in the teacher’s lounge at night. They were not quite real people then. Now, we have catapulted to the other end of the spectrum, the end where this accessibility is turning teachers into living textbooks, not a figure of  authority, but a 24/7 convenience available to us at any moment’s notice. It is unfair for the teachers, and it puts them in a position they shouldn’t have to deal with, because some may now feel an obligation to be refreshing their home page every ten minutes in case a student needs help. At the very least, the constant reminder of their job in the form of a laptop sitting on the desk must make it difficult to enjoy their well-deserved home lives.

When I was in second grade, my mom became a first grade teacher at my elementary school. In the beginning of her career, I remember parents would email her about problems their kids had with a homework assignment, or their grades, or something of the sort. As the years went on, it progressed from emails to phone calls. Once, during my birthday party, a parent called our home number and kept my mom on the phone for at least a half hour talking about their concerns for their child’s grades. My mother missed half of my 8^th birthday party because she was discussing the inadequate grades of a six year old.

That is not part of the job description. And since then, this problem has only increased. With the latest addition of School Town, teaching has become an all-day, every-day profession.

If blame must be placed, I believe it should fall mostly to students. These communication tools have not been provided as tools for us to pester our teachers, but to be used when appropriate to receive help on an assignment. As we get older, we must be trusted with more responsibility, and so we must draw our own boundaries. Also, if we would stay better organized and do our work in advance, we wouldn’t get caught in situations where we need to ask a teacher a question at midnight.

This new age of technology makes us pioneers as issues come up with this new level of familiarity between teachers and students. And so, we must set our own boundaries. If students are looking for guidelines, here are some simple rules (made by yours truly) to help you stay in the appropriate and professional realm:

1. Do not call or text your teacher after 9 p.m. Yes I know, a lot of us stay up later than that, but if you really have a devastatingly urgent question at a late hour, stick to email. They can answer it the next morning: chances are your teacher will be glad you didn’t text them, even if it means you didn’t finish your assignment.

2. Treat the teacher the way they treat you. Some teachers are much more comfortable with technology and don’t find it weird for you to text them, but I definitely have a few teachers who I know would be completely thrown off if I texted them about my homework. Respect the personal preference of your teacher.

3. Finally, don’t abuse the convenience. It is very nice to have access to your teachers when you need help, but don’t take it too far, and unless the teacher has expressed that they are okay with it, don’t text them about non-school related things. There is a point when everyone’s patience runs out, and after eight hours of students, I’m sure teachers want to live their own lives.

If you have any other rules you would like to add or things to say about this topic, please comment below and I will respond! Just one thing…. Don’t expect me to reply after 9 p.m.