You can't help but have noticed that teachers seem to be getting a raw deal in the press of late. While the strike action at the end of the last month involved all public sector workers, the focus was very much on teachers and although there appeared to be a lot of sympathy from parents, the media stories were primarily of school closures and disruptions. Education Secretary Michael Gove was even quoted as saying that industrial action would result in respect for teachers being "taken back a little bit".

The pre-strike coverage prompted me to ask the following questions: when does a teacher's personal life affect their professional one? Do teachers lose or damage their professional standards when they act in an inappropriate manner outside of school?

To find out more Teacher Support Network designed a short survey asking teachers for their experiences and how they felt the public perception of teachers could best be improved.

79 per cent of the teachers that responded to the survey felt that the media did not present a positive image of teachers. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) believed that more positive media coverage could help improve the public perception of teachers, while another quarter (23 per cent) thought publicity campaigns to raise awareness of teachers' good work were necessary.

"The press 99.9 per cent of the time only ever report negatively about teachers. Celebration of teacher value, not just teacher awards, should be encouraged," commented one teacher. "I have to stay professional as I believe that if parents of students see you, they want to see that you are respectable, professional and a good role model," suggested another.

The respondents also thought that more powers over behaviour in the school community (18 per cent), higher wages (12 per cent) and tougher entry requirements for teacher training would improve the perception of teachers.

Interestingly, the majority of the teachers that took part in the survey disagreed that the way a teacher acts outside of school should have no impact on their role within school.

"I would not even consider acting inappropriately. If I am expecting young people to respect me, I offer something for them to respect," read one comment. "I do believe that we have to set a very clear example in public, not least given the poor example set by so many other people," said one teacher.

Only 2 per cent of the teachers that took part in the survey had ever been reprimanded for their actions outside of school.

"I once corrected a child in the street for jumping on top of a colleague's car. I was reprimanded for this action," admitted one respondent. "I was in between homes and was living in a mobile home. The headteacher of my school at the time, told me that it was not correct, professional or a good impression to give," recalled another.

Yet, more than half (59 per cent) of respondents to the self-selecting survey said they had adapted their behaviour outside of school, because they thought it would impact on their role in school. These teachers were most likely to adapt their behaviour out and about where they live, online when social networking or during social activities.

"I have tried to stay away from bars / clubs where I feel pupils would tend to go. This is despite the fact, a lot of them are underage, and I have more 'right' to be there than them" complained one teacher. "It is inevitable one will meet, or merely be seen by, pupils / colleagues from work while at large, say at the supermarket, and it seems reasonable to be conscious always of the image one puts across," commented another.

It will, I am sure, be a debate that keeps going and going as the impact of the strikes, the cuts and the changes in education take effect. It is clear that more must be done to provide a positive portrayal of teachers both in the media and with the public, although this can not be done alone. As one respondent commented: "It is the public who have a job of work to do to improve how they are perceived by us."

If you would like to comment on this issue, go to our forum here. In the meantime, I wish you a very pleasant and, where possible, relaxing summer holidays.