Ever share a photo on social media and then seconds later, you start wishing you wouldn’t have?
I’m glad I am not alone!

The stakes are a little higher when you are posting on your school accounts, but it is bound to happen.

#SocialSchoo4EDU has posted over 6,000 updates and here are just a few times when we said, “Yikes!”

• A student who was wearing shorts that were a little too short (not beyond the fingertips). We removed it after getting a comment from another student. They said they understood that the dress code must not apply to all students.
• Naming every single teacher incorrectly in a photo. We were able to edit the post and thank the folks who helped identify the error.
• Sharing an image of a special needs student who ended up being a target of a group of trolls. We deleted comments, blocked users, and monitored the page, but eventually were forced to delete the photo from the page.
• Sharing an image with a student wearing a shirt with inappropriate language on it (no – I won’t be telling you what it said).
• A fun group shot of students with a teacher, but the teacher was holding his ID lanyard above his head, almost appearing like he was hanging himself with it. We removed that photo as soon as the guidance counselor reached out.

How can we avoid these moments of panic?

• If your intuition gives you a little question mark as to whether you should post it or not, don’t post it.
• Show that image you didn’t post to someone else and talk through your reasons for not wanting to post it. A second opinion will either confirm or wipe out your initial doubt.
• If you decide not to post it, follow up with the person who submitted the photo. It is best to talk through what can be done differently next time. If you don’t tell them, you may continually receive images that you know you can’t post.
• In the situations when a photo goes up and then needs to be taken down (if it hasn’t happened yet, it will), take swift action. Remove the photo and be ready to offer a vulnerable apology if concerns were voiced. This doesn’t always need to be done publicly. You can direct message or even place a phone call to a student or community member who raised the concern.

We know with technology, an error made on social media isn’t truly deleted. Someone could have captured the image with a screenshot and there isn’t any method to get that back. Always think twice (or three times) before posting, but know that there will be mistakes made. We are human.

Don’t let this concern or worry keep you from celebrating all of the incredible positivity that your school can put out to the world.

Do you have a lesson you could share with our readers? We’d love to hear it! Shout it out below.