[italian riviera]

Just woundering how many teachers keep contact with their students after you have left the school?

[iankendal]

I have many friends that were, my students all over the world, it's nice to keep intouch.

[simplyesl]

I'm still friends with alot of the Chinese staff at the school that I taught at in Shanghai

[livinginkorea]

I drink with my kindergarten students too often!!

I need some more adult classes!

[clivehawkins]

It's nice to keep in touch, purely for frienship's sake.
On a more cynical note, it's also nice when you have ex-students who are lawyers, dentists, doctors, accountants, mechanics, plumbers etc etc. Especially in a country where if you don't know the right person you'll get conned!

[iankendal]

Yes very true!!!

[HUE]

I've noticed that students often become friends once the teacher-student relationship gets removed (i.e., the student finishes the course). Drinking with students, getting a coffee, etc. is always fun, but you also have to be careful about what you say or do; for some strange reason, face down drunk is alright with friends, sometimes with colleagues, and never okay with your students!

But I've also noticed that, like most world travelers who have so many people come in and out of their lives, you easily lose contact with quite a few students-who-became-friends. They move onto work, family, etc., much like friends who return to their home country and "get back" to their lives.

Is this true for anyone else?

Chris Cotter
www.headsupenglish.com

[Eric]

I liked hanging out with my uni students but there was one situation where one student and I became too buddy buddy to the point where he made comments in the classroom that are more appropriate after a few beers at the bar. After that, we didn't really hang out too much.

Like HUE said, once you remove that teacher student relationship dynamic, things are better.

[BrianW]

I stay in touch with some of my students from Shanghai. Beware of HOW close you keep, sometimes the young "female" students will desire a closer relationship than you care for. XIAO-XIN

[mesmark]

I don't really keep in touch with too many former students but most of my students are children and we part when they hit high school.

I have started to see some old students coming back to town these days. We say hello and ask how everything is but that's about it.

[michèle 2]

Most of my students have become friends as well as their parents. They have a very good job so it's good to hear that they're happy and that perhaps you help them to build their life.

[DaveESL]

I don't really make friends with my students. I guess I'm leery of spending time with them outside of the classroom lest charges of favoritism come about. With approximately 400 students, there's no way I could spread my time out equally!

When I was teaching in Hawaii at a private language school, though, it was less formal.

Dave

[Eric18]

My experiences match Dave's. Perhaps the university setting requires a more distant relationship due to numbers of students and procedures, but teachers have to find a way to both build rapport and maintain some distance. The power dynamic also complicates matters because you are giving grades. Finally, some students will seek recommendations and/or waivers.
When I taught at adult or IEP programs, you could create a more casual atmosphere. But, again, professionalism dictates a certain distance.
Having said all that, I consider several former students friends and have maintained contact with a wider circle through occassional emails.

[emile]

When I was a fresh teacher I made friends with the students, who were around my age anyway. Now, I keep a bigger distance. Too many torturous conversations in broken English.

[DaveESL]

Heh, well, after that post I just went out for lunch with some students. It was the entire class, though. I guess in that context I feel comfortable, although I am a bit concerned that one of my other classes will get upset. Owell.