Safety, law & ethicsNew teachersFuture teachers

Student information isn't yours to share

Grades, plans, photos, even names belong in a much smaller circle than you'd think.

Written with AI — this one isn’t Tammy. The Field Guide covers ground her videos don’t, and keeps to what’s well established. It doesn’t know your students, and nothing here overrides your school’s policy or your state’s law. · 1 min read

What to do

FERPA, a federal law, protects students' education records. In practice, grades, attendance, discipline and special education details are shared only with people who have a legitimate need.
Don't post grades or rankings where others can see them, and don't discuss one student's progress with another student's family.
Check which students have a media opt-out before you take a single class photo, and never post students on your personal social media.
Be careful with group emails: BCC families, and read twice before you reply-all with anything about a student.
Only use apps and sites your district has approved for student data.

Why it works

Privacy slips are among the most common ways new teachers get into trouble, and they're almost always accidental — a shared screen, a forwarded email, a photo on a personal account. A handful of habits make most of those mistakes impossible.

Try this tomorrow

Ask your front office for this year's media opt-out list before you take any photos, and keep it with your seating charts.

Watch out

Be careful when you project your screen. Gradebooks, email and message notifications have a habit of appearing in front of thirty students.

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