Is there a line to be drawn between educator and mentor?
I decided to try something new: I added all of my students to Line groups to keep them updated on reminders, scheduling changes, and other important information. (For those unfamiliar, Line is a messaging app similar to WhatsApp.) This choice has significantly blurred the lines between my work life and personal life. Was this the right move? A decade ago, it would have been unheard of for a teacher to maintain such close contact with students outside of school hours. In fact, my mom, who was also a teacher, might have faced serious consequences for checking in on a student after class. Now, I find myself questioning where the boundary lies between being a professional educator and a mentor. I'm also grappling with how comfortable I am with this overlap between work and personal life; sometimes, you just need to disconnect, but with these constant connections, that escape feels impossible.
Tim
