I used to think Twitter was just for celebrities and so I
was a bit hesitant to join. However, last September 2016, I decided to take a
closer look. I wasn’t sure of what to do so I took the lead from any teenage
kid - I signed up, gave it a go and was
instantly hooked. Now as I’ve shared in previous blogs the last year has been a
very rewarding time in my Teaching career and it is no coincidence that this
corresponds with my new-found ability to tweet. Twitter has certainly played an
integral part in my progress and I want to share what I’ve found beneficial.
Connections:
Teachers are very busy people - in our own classrooms,
our own staffrooms or our own school grounds. We sometimes forget that there
are thousands (or millions) of other teachers out there who have similar trials,
tribulations, goals and achievements as us. Twitter makes it easy to connect to
likeminded people anywhere, anytime. People that are willing to share, discuss,
give feedback, compare, add to or collaborate on ideas. The more time you
invest in Twitter the more you work out who the people are that are going to be
most beneficial to you and those who would appreciate someone with whom to
share.
Resources:
Twitter is a one stop shop to see and hear about the
plethora of resources that are available. Props, people, information,
technology. There is always someone out there who has tried and tested
something before you. It’s not only a great place to access information
regarding resources but also to allow you to see things people are using and
doing for the first time. It’s a public noticeboard of conferences, web chats,
twitter chats, webinars and professional development opportunities to
participate in.
Inspiration
Not only does the exposure to resources provide
motivation, people often post inspirational sayings, quotes, rhymes, etc. I
know we’ve all seen these on social media and they can be ‘over the top’ and
annoying. But take the time, be selective and you’ll find some gems. The first
thing I do when I get home from a hard day is kick off my shoes and sit on my
couch with my I-Pad to scroll through my Twitter feed. I’ve lost count of the
times I’ve come home feeling exhausted or a bit down to find something
inspiring on Twitter that picks me up, puts things into perspective or gives me
a great idea to focus on for the following day.
Self-promotion
There is no better way to promote the great work you are
doing than putting it out there for the world to see. I’ve already discussed
the benefits of sharing your work but there are many more benefits to
self-promotion. Teachers work hard, so why shouldn’t we promote the good work
we do. The worst case scenario is that you might receive feedback. Even bad
feedback allows you to reflect, reassess and improve. Don’t wait for your boss
to ‘talk you up’. YOU are the best person to promote YOU! Be proud of what you
have done.
Learning
I've never read more! There is so much that grabs the eye
and inspires you to look, read and read a bit more! Soon you find you are
trying all sorts of crazy ideas in your classroom that challenge and delight
the students. This then just stirs the hunger to find out more and widens the
horizons of your knowledge. I’ve read articles and heard and been involved in
conversations about whether or not Twitter is Professional Development. I
believe that if you are getting ideas, being inspired to try something
different, gaining knowledge, developing confidence or self-belief and
ultimately using that to better educate your students and yourself, than that’s what’s important.
Sharing
Twitter is a sharing platform. It has been beneficial to
me as a teacher because of the people who are willing to share their ideas. I
try and share regularly so that I can hopefully contribute to this platform.
When I am working on something different, I try and add pictures to highlight
the ‘What?’ and ‘How?’ If I have implemented something that someone has shared
with me, I always try and share that with that person. A colleague of mine once
told me he loves to share what he is doing and is not afraid that someone would
implement it in the their class or school and do it better. He sees that as
affirmation that what he does is good and sees it as a challenge to improve it
further. After all, the benefit to our students is what is important.
I am constantly looking to challenge my students as I’m
sure all teachers are. Twitter has opened my eyes to the many, many teachers
out there who are willing to share, discuss and collaborate to make learning
engaging, real and relevant. But you get out what you put in. Put aside the
time to look at connecting with others. You can even do it in our pyjamas on
your couch. I have developed an interest and curiosity around loads of things
that I have tried in my classroom which have benefitted my students’ learning.
I have discovered things that have taken me to conferences, allowed me to meet
and chat with amazing educators and developed interests that have transformed
my teaching. I have even taken up blogging! Give it a go. It might just be what
you are looking for.
